My People

I found this book so powerful, and absolutely loved it. The main idea of Langston Hughes' poem, My People, is to pay tribute to African-American people. Through Charles R. Smith's photographs, the spirit of the poem was eloquently captured. I loved that in this book a lot of the images were of children. Because it is considered a children's picture book, the pictures of children make this deep, beautiful poem much more accessible to those in the grade level for which it is intended. Also, I loved this book because the photographs correspond to the lines of the poem. For example, when in the poem it talks about the eyes of 'my people', it compares them to stars, and uses a photograph of an African-American person with bright, beautiful show more eyes. By using this picture, it enhances the text to relate stars to eyes. show less

This book is a Langston Hughes book set amongst portraits of the faces of African American people. There is nothing as brilliant as the simplicity of Langston Hughes' voice in one's mind as one reads his poetry. The photography of African American faces, young and old, different shades, different features to accompany the poem is a natural pairing. However, there is only one very dark skinned person in the book. The majority of the faces seem bi-racial and very light skinned. In the photographer's notes, Charles R Smith, Jr. writes of the difficulty in determining who exactly Hughes meant by 'hs people', and Mr. Smith decided to choose the breadth of the African American identity rather than limiting or restricting it, as is his right s show more an artist. I know that within African American culture in MY city, New Orleans, there is a very real pecking order in the African American experience according to the lightness or darkness of one's particular shade of brown. I cannot speak to the existence of such a concept in other cities. So in my mind, I imagine a very dark skinned girl looking at this book and not feeling as if she is included, does not see her image mirrored there in the pages. The darkest skinned person is an elderly gentleman. To add to the imbalance of representation, fewer of the portraits feature strong African American facial features. Now, this, I believe, is the author's intent, and I am changing my own mind as I write...but I still can't help of that very dark skinned young girl flipping through these pages, getting the message that lighter skin is more beautiful than hers. show less

At first when I read the book My People, I was a little confused as to the meaning of it and why the words were not complete sentences. I had to read the passage "Who Are My People?" in the back of the book to learn that this book has more to it than what meets the eye. This was a poem that was broken up and pictures were added to convey meaning. After understanding that this was a poem, I reread the book and I realized that it is very powerful and I loved it. It has a comparison of different elements from nature. For example, he begins with stating how the night is beautiful and says that so are my people. I think that this is a powerful book that can be encouraging for African American children and people who read it. It can be a show more sense of empowerment letting them know that all they are different that they are beautiful and that being different in this case is being unique. This book is an easy read with only 33 words and can be read by and to younger children. However, the deeper meaning and understanding of the book may only be able to be understood by children who are a little older. Overall this book recited an amazing poem and had pictures that were of importance for each line of the poem.

A good read for younger children but the content is for older children. show less

My People is a work that highlights and celebrates the people who identify themselves as African American/ black. Hughes's eloquent language flow very smoothly throughout the book and are both metaphorical and literal in meaning. He points to the beauty and uniqueness of his culture/ identity and presents such ideas as being ones that are universal and applicable to anyone of any race, ethnicity, cultural upbringing, etc. Paired with Smith's photography, it also provides a first hand and real life perspective on his culture, making it something further to connect and identify with the viewer.
I think that especially as a person of color (Latina/ Chicana), I greatly enjoyed reading this poem. I believe that when any author and/or artist show more invests themselves into their work, it gives it a deeper meaning and is strongly conveyed and received. The fact that Hughes takes so much pride and is not ashamed of who he is or of his cultural "group," it sends a great message to young readers. Being able to see oneself as being part of a whole and as being a valid individual and seeing personal attributes and characteristics as being assets rather than burdens, is a powerful thing that should be part of ALL people's identity. show less

I loved reading My People. I enjoyed it so much because of the simplicity and power within the text and the author’s use of photographs. The author used text on each page that was concise and powerful. He says, “The stars are beautiful. So are my people.” These short words are emphasized and convey great emotion to the reader. The simplicity also makes it easy for children to follow and understand. I also loved the use of real photographs. The author incorporated pictures of his people on every page. For example, the page that he talks about the eyes of his people is accompanied by close shots of people’s sparkling faces and large eyes. His use of children and adults allows the reader to feel connected not only to him as an show more author, but also to his people. The theme throughout the book is to appreciate the beauty and soul of the African American community. show less

I really loved this version of the poem "My People" by Langston Hughes. I enjoyed this book for two reasons. Firstly, I really loved the way Langston Hughes pushes readers to broaden their perspectives and look at tough issues. Though a short poem, Hughes creates a moving piece that reminds all people to view African Americans as beautiful beings. Hughes writes, “The night is beautiful, so the faces of my people.” The poem is an important reminder for readers to not forget history.
Secondly, I love the photographs that accompany Hughes’ moving poem. With the short poem broken into small lines accompanied by a black and white photo of an African American on each page, this helps the reader slow down and reflect on the words of the show more poem and the mood or emotion reflected in the person's face. Reading this version of Hughes’ poem was moving. The theme of this book is to celebrate African American people. show less

WOW! Such a magnificent book-- and ode to the author's people, the Black community. Langston Hughes's words with Charles R. Smith Jr.'s photography set the tone that the author is so proud of their roots and sees the beauty in all of them. Langston shares this with the reader, and you can feel each line's admiration and strength. An excellent poetic read!