I, too, sing America.
– Langston Hughes
In between fraction lessons a la orange and apple slices and memorizing the 46 counties of our state in our own singsongy 3rd grade manner – “Abbeville, Aiken, Al – len- dale, Anderson, Bamberg, Barn – well, Beaufort …, ” the first poem I remember learning was “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes.
Now far beyond elementary age and Mrs. Slater’s 3rd grade class, Langston Hughes’ impact on a brown girl like me and our American literature is undeniable. Hughes writings navigated the complex lives of everyday people skillfully curating their stories – plain and reachable.
When I sat down to think of a name for an on-going documentary project centered on telling the stories of everyday Americans focused on life and aging, I immediately thought of the title of one of Langston Hughes poem, “I, too.”*
“I, too” will be an on-going documentary profile project where I will be interviewing, photgraphing and profiling subjects on the topic of aging.
Check out my first profile, still somewhat in draft, also a tribute piece to the “Earth Under Our Feet” Project –> ‘Ruth.‘
