Despite a lively discussion about prejudice, most of the captions written by my students don t focus on racism. Segregation isn t as overt in the 90s as it was when Hughes s book was published, so racism is now just one of many things that contribute to the misery of my students. Many of their captions have to do with the misery of being poor, or of being a child, or of being a poor black child. What I love most about the work inspired by Black Misery is how much is revealed in a single sentence. Misery is when a boy don t want to talk because his mother died.
Misery is why do little boys and girls have to eat from the garbage.
Misery is when you are in the class and you think of jumping out the window. Misery is when you try to help someone but they think you want something in return. Misery is when the teacher tells you to stop, but the person next to you doesn t have to. Misery is when they change your baby at birth and you find out twenty years later. Misery is when you meet the man of your dreams, then you meet his nice husband.