Grade 11
NarrativeWritingMy name is Raheem Johnson. The city of my residence is New Orleans. I was born and raised in New Orleans. This is my city. I love my city. Now, many would say: “How could you love this city? It’s riddled with crime and it looks like a dump.” And I would reply: “Well, I love this city because this city and I are…the same. We are the same. Not by blood, but through overlapping realities in this very world. My life and the life of my city are entwined through our similarities and individuated through our differences.”
Now, many could say: “Are you crazy? How is a seventeen-year-old boy in any way similar to a 250-year-old city?” And I would reply: “Well, just like me, my city is an outsider. Not fitting in anywhere, and unique in our own ways. We love this. We love to feel…different. We may look weird to people, we may disgust people, and you may only want to spend a short time here for Mardi Gras, when people come to enjoy themselves, get drunk, and party like there’s no tomorrow. But there is a tomorrow. Tomorrows with repercussions. Tomorrows with rewards. Or even tomorrows with nothing, as if nothing ever happened the day before. That’s what my city and I look for. The tomorrows. The tomorrows of hope. Of promise. Of…whatever may come.”
Because there was a time when a tomorrow wasn’t promised. For me or my city. In 2005, my city was killed. Killed. Killed by the forces of the Heavenly Father himself. Why he did it, only Jesus himself may know.
In 2005, I suffered the same fate. I drowned. I loved the water but didn’t know how to swim. Consumed by water and pulled under by my own weight. Swallowed whole by a clear, cool darkness. My city and I were dead.
And when the waters receded and we were pulled from the depths of our murderers, all the others could do was stand in shock and grievance, fearing the worst had prevailed.
My city was killed by a Category Five, and I by a mere hotel pool.
But miracles happen. In many shapes and forms. Whether we notice them or not. Now, judging from the way I’m writing this and how New Orleans is a thriving city from which I bring this story to you, you can infer that miracles were given out that day.
Having recovered from disaster, I watch as my city’s recovery continues. New Orleans will always be my city, and I its citizen. Similar from the scars we share, both physical and mental, and from the past we can never disown. So we fear not death because we’ve seen its ways and it has nothing new to show us.
Now death is poised to strike America, because just like my city and me, America’s past can never be disowned. Through atrocities, progress was born. From the cracked backs and broken hands of my ancestors who built this very nation, to the death and near extinction of the natives whose blood cries out from the land that is now this United States, to the discrimination and conquest of millions worldwide that has given America its wealth and power.
Now with America’s 45th president, he wants to make America great again. He wants the progress America used to have back. As we’ve seen with the history of this nation, prosperity comes at the expense of others.
I’m glad he was elected because as long as we settle or come to terms with our current state we will never be moved or agitated enough to ask for better. This will be the decade of Death and Awakening. “How so?” you may ask. Well, now the ignorance, the people of this nation have had to the issues of inequality race and discrimination and the willingness to turn our backs and act as if nothing has happened will be put to death and in its place awakening will be installed as all those who didn’t believe discrimination was a problem in America will be awoken from a hypnotic sleep to realize it is a time for action. That’s why I’m glad Donald Trump is our president because now we can’t just sweep this under the rug and wait another four years for the next man to take office, to see if it is time to tackle the problem. Now we have a big problem on our hands and a big mess to clean up and we now can’t approach this as a whole or submit to it apart.
This will be the decade of Death and Awakening. This is the decade of Death and Awakening. The Decade of Death and Awakening has begun. And even if this worst occurs, miracles are prominent.
by Bianca Morcho, 826 MSP
A personal essay that explores the different shades of the Black Lives Matter movement.
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A student reflects on memories of home and what binds her special community together.
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In this essay, a student threads their identity across cultures, histories, and places, engaging with legacies of violence and the movement of people.
Kenya G., 17, 826LA
A poet relates her experience as a queer woman in the closet to a peacock in the zoo.
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A student reflects on a small moment and single sacrifice that transformed her outlook on giving.
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A powerful poem that lifts up Black women.
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by Elsy M.E., Grade 11, 826 Valencia
A poet imagines a better and more harmonious world.
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One student explores their online persona and the lasting importance of conscientious social media practices.
by Katya Torres, The 826 Dallas Project
This bilingual poem explores the harrowing story of a boy working while in school to save his mother.
by Shayne Williams
Discover what one student experiences when they tuck their phone away for a whole day.
by Johnny Vasquez, 826 MSP
A family interview reveals a mother's painful past and shines a light on her persistence.
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Liner notes that showcase the meaning and musicality of the Jimmy Ruffin song “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted.”
by Maria, Grade 12, 826 Boston
In this public narrative, a student makes the case for creating community change by building youth centers in her neighborhood.
by Augustus Griffith Jr., 826 National
From the forthcoming anthology, Poets in Revolt!, this poem explores the aftermath and lasting impacts of school shootings.
by Julianna Cruz, 826 Dallas Project
This narrative piece contemplates the struggle of immigrants during the pandemic.
by Alexis G., Grade 11
In this narrative, the author uses vibrant language to explore their identity, in all its complexity, through different landscapes.
by Lucas Hu, 826 Boston
A poem about staying true to yourself during a challenging transition
by Melody Marcano, 826 Boston
In this poem, a student reflects on their roots and their desire to grow.
by Sally Phan, 826 Boston
A memoir that questions the idea of home and how it changes with time.
by Quardasha Mitchell, The 826 Dallas Project
In this compelling poem, the author navigates her relationship with America as a young African-American woman.
by Maya M., Grade 11, Newburg, OR
A student reflects on the memories they made while backpacking.
by Numan Khan, age 16, 826 Boston
A bilingual "I am" poem filled with conviction and courage.
by Earl Williams Jr., The 826 Dallas Project
A powerful poetic piece about the experience of being Black in America.
by Ryan, Grade 12, 826 Boston
In this public narrative, a student illustrates the hardships his uncle has faced to argue for a path to citizenship.
by Jahruwach Hamilton, 826NYC
In this rousing poem, a student asserts her strength and worth as a woman.
by Justis Porter, age 16, 826 Boston
A neighborhood ode filled with sights and sounds of the poet's street.
by Jesus Sanchez, The 826 Dallas Project
This creative short horror piece explores the mysteries and danger of a night in the woods.
by Sian Laing
When Instagram becomes an unsightly battlefield.
by Sharoya Bracey, 826NYC
In this memoir, the narrator recounts the struggle of being the bigger person in a very small space.
by Jordan, 826 New Orleans
Crawfish, crayfish, or mudbugs. Whatever you call them, the writer of this poem doesn't like them.
by Samuel Wang, Grade 10, 826NYC
A poem about the complexity of love exchanged during the holidays.
by Kayla Wayne, Grade 11, 826NYC
In this poem, a student reflects on their first encounter with forced assimilation.
by Sarah X. Age 18, 826Boston
A rousing public narrative from an author coming to terms with their identity as a young Chinese American woman and what they represent: the community of Boston's Chinatown.
by Jonas K., 826 National
A student explores the paradox of how technology is used amongst teenagers.
by Terra C., Grades 10-11, 826NYC
A student recalls their journey on how they discovered their LGBTQIA+ identity.
by Keyshana, Grade 11, 826CHI
Black strength, beauty, and pride soar in this poem as a student discusses overcoming brutality and discrimination.
by Jizelle Villegas, Grade 12, 826 Dallas Project
The stunning and vulnerable poem processes feelings of loss, grief, and hope for the future.
by Rockelle Rodd, Grade 11, 826NYC
This poem uses analogies to describe all of the pieces of the writer's personal history.
by Joanne H, 826 Valencia
In this poem, a student’s experiences in two countries meld together as she seeks out her true home.
by Junaynah R., Grade 11, 826NYC
Full of exquisite imagery, this poem explores the idea of second chances.
by Vanessa Ramon-Ibarra, 826DC
Living in the digital world can create unwanted attachments, as one student laments.
by Michaiah Anderson, The 826 Dallas Project
In this poem, a student describes their family origins with an intimate point of view
by Oriel, 826NYC
In this poem, an echoing question strikes a chord and reveals the tragic loss held within systemic injustice.
by Sergio M, 826 Valencia
This piece reminds us that a smile is not always what it seems.
by George S., Grade 11, 826 Boston
A writer implores people to get outside and touch grass because you never know what you might find!
by Riti Shrestha, 826NYC
In this poem, metaphor is used to describe who the narrator is.
by Soraya, 826NYC
This student’s powerful piece reveals the essence of racial injustice.
by Tammy Fong, 826NYC
A soccer-filled, feud-fueled memoir.
by Jeremy Hsiao, 826 National
From the forthcoming anthology, Poets in Revolt!, this poem reminds activists that "to change everything, we need everyone."
by Leydi Di Villanueva, The 826 Dallas Project
This creative narrative imagines how the coronavirus views humanity during the pandemic.
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