The Education of Jah Amiel

Wednesday, April 21, 2010


The Educationof Jah Amiel

Jah Amiel went out the backdoor ofhis house and knocked on his grandpa's door. Grandpa was lying downproofreading but got up when he heard his grandson at the door. He hadto get up for the little savior of the world, as his grandson told himhe was going to be.

He opened the door and Jah Amiel came in on amission as he nears his third year on earth, May 31. "I want to see theAmerican," he told his grandpa excitedly.

What?
The American!
What?
TheAmerican!
What?
I want to see the American! His grandpa had noidea what he was talking about, until Jah Amiel pointed to the largeposter of Langston Hughes on the wall.

Oh, Langston Hughes?
Yeah.On the computer.
Oh, you want to see Langston Hughes read I, Too, AmAmerica?
Yeah.
Ok, ok.
Grandpa turned on Youtube and found thesite with Langston Hughes reading his classic poem.
Meantime Jahmielfound a tape dispenser and pulled off a piece.
Gonna tape my mouth.
Notnow, Jah Amiel, you gonna read with Langston.
Ok. He stopped for amoment to read along with Langston.

I, too, sing America

Iam the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
Whencompany comes.
But I laugh
And eat well.
And grow strong.

Tomorrow,
I'llbe at the table
When company comes.
Nobody'll dare
Say to me
"Eatin the kitchen,"
Then.

Besides,
They'll see how beautiful Iam
And be ashamed--
I, too, am American.

After reading thepoem once, he told his grandpa to play it again and he again recitedwith Langston, then he put the tape over his mouth.

Lately, JahAmiel doesn't accompany his grandpa downtown to his Academy of DaCorner. The people ask grandpa where's Jah Amiel? But his mother put himin Montessori school. She told her dad Jah Amiel could come to hisschool on the weekends.

After he went to school, his grandpaasked him what he learned?

How to play in the sand box.
That'sall?
Yeah.
Grandpa thought about it. He figured this might be animportant lesson, since many people never learn how to play in the sandbox without throwing sand in other people's face and eyes throughouttheir life.

What did you do today at school, Jah Amiel?
I beenworking at school and I'm tired.
What kind of work did you do?
Iworked. I'm tired.
Well, you better go home to yo mama.
Ok. Seeyou later alligator!
His grandpa replied, after while, crocodile!
--MarvinX
4/21/10
www.educationofjahamiel.blogspot.com
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Comments

  • What if we had read Langston Hughes at three? But the truth is we used to go to the West Oakland Library at Peralta and Seventh, on class field trips. But I don't remember any black literature, only the little black librarian with the wig and sitting in those little chairs while she told us stories I can't remember the subject. For sure, they didn't make any impression on me that I remember.
  • Why is a most philosophical question. The retardation of adults begins when they stop asking why, even of themselves. Bring King Jamir on.
  • West
    I must bring King Jamir to play with Jah Amiel I wonder what wonderful things they will discuss? Two such great minds in such small bodies, too young to realize they are not old enough to contemplate the weighty issues they approach with hungry minds and sentences that begin mostly with, Why?
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