Children, I come back today
To tell you a story of the long dark way
That I had to climb, that I had to know
In order that the race might live and grow.
Look at my face — dark as the night —
Yet shining like the sun with love’s true light.
I am the dark girl who crossed the red sea
Carrying in my body the seed of the free.
I am the woman who worked in the field
Bringing the cotton and the corn to yield.
I am the one who labored as a slave,
Beaten and mistreated for the work that I gave —
Children sold away from me, I’m husband sold, too.
No safety , no love, no respect was I due.
Three hundred years in the deepest South:
But God put a song and a prayer in my mouth .
God put a dream like steel in my soul.
Now, through my children, I’m reaching the goal.
Now, through my children, young and free,
I realized the blessing deed to me.
I couldn’t read then. I couldn’t write.
I had nothing, back there in the night.
Sometimes, the valley was filled with tears,
But I kept trudging on through the lonely years.
Sometimes, the road was hot with the sun,
But I had to keep on till my work was done:
I had to keep on! No stopping for me —
I was the seed of the coming Free.
I nourished the dream that nothing could smother
Deep in my breast — the Negro mother.
I had only hope then , but now through you,
Dark ones of today, my dreams must come true:
All you dark children in the world out there,
Remember my sweat, my pain, my despair.
Remember my years, heavy with sorrow —
And make of those years a torch for tomorrow.
Make of my pass a road to the light
Out of the darkness, the ignorance, the night.
Lift high my banner out of the dust.
Stand like free men supporting my trust.
Believe in the right, let none push you back.
Remember the whip and the slaver’s track.
Remember how the strong in struggle and strife
Still bar you the way, and deny you life —
But march ever forward, breaking down bars.
Look ever upward at the sun and the stars.
Oh, my dark children, may my dreams and my prayers
Impel you forever up the great stairs —
For I will be with you till no white brother
Dares keep down the children of the Negro Mother.
i luv this poem dont get me wrong im only 11 but wen i get older im gonna b a writer my mama got the collected poems of langston huhges book and ive read every single last poem in the book in my 6th grade class im the only kid who knos about him xcept for my friend (and i told her bout him) but i really luv dat peom it kinda reminds me of my moms cuz no matter how much pain she get raisin for kids workin and payin rent or gettin hurt she neva gives up i luv my moms more than words kan express no words kan describe her just like in the poem
MAN I LOVE THIS POEM…POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!
Didn’t Lanston Hughes also write: From Mother to Son or Climb the Staircase? I am anxious to find this for a friend’s memorial service.
We Must Never Forget What We Must Pass On To Our Children, Hope, Truth, Our Survival. And Yet We Will Be…
THE NEGRO MOTHER HAS BEEN A TORCH OF LIGHT,STRENGTH,AND SPIRIT TO MY LIFE, I HAVE AN ORIGINAL COPY,WHEN I COMPARED THE TWO,THE COPY ON LINE HAVE MISSPELLED WORDS PLEASE PROOF READ.
THANK YOU IMANI AYOBUNMI
My mother taught me this poem when I was in the third grade and I have always kept it close to my heart. It is timeless and global. Sure, she is the Negro mother, but she speaks to the Latino child, the Asian Child, the Native American child, the Jewish child and any human spirit who struggles and have the faith in God to not give up, but keep on keepin’ on. Her spirit beckons us to lift up our voices and speak out against disparities regarding race, age, religion, culture, sex and so on. She empowers each of us to recognize our role as leaders, role models and visonaries. WE are the Negro mother–in Pakistan, Cuba, Nigeria, Canada, America or wherever you reside in this vast world. She lives in you and she lives in me! May God bless and keep you.-Niambi
this poem is goood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
this poem is just beautiful. i love it!sometimes we forget how blessed we are and a pooem like this just reminds us.thank you langston hughes for writting this.
I can recall being a part of showcase for the arts when I was in the eighth grade. I recited this poem, from memory, dressed the part with my wool two piece suit, my coffee stocking, my round toe dress shoes and my brim hat. This poem is the most inspirational writings of all times. I am now in my thirties and I still recite this poem because of the strength of the negro mother, my battles seem simplistic. I encourage everyone who reads this poem to share it with a friend. Remember that perserverance achieves success.
This peom is amazing. Growing in these times where things are so much easier for black people, You never forget but it passes you and when you read a peom like this it reminds you of the hard work black people went through to give us what we have today. It really makes you think.
This poem always seems to move me each and every time I read it. The words are so fierce and so true, that it digs into your soul and picks at your spirit, making you laugh, cry, and think at the same time. Everyone can relate to a poem like this. I love his work!!!!~OKC
this is yet so touching even to me even thuogh i am only 12 but i understand this and if i were able to do sumin a out it i would vote u number 1!! well igotta go and thanks for qriteing such a pretty and understanding poem!! bye
oh my goodness…when i read this poem my spine was tingling and i had a sense of freedom of the mind after i read this vividly beautiful poem.
I realy loved the poem im only 15 and im real expired by your work i love it i shared a couple of tears and they 2 were happy tears and if would have lived back then i would not thought i would be as strong as u
this poem is just so inpiring and lets you know how much those black men and women suffered those years. Even tough they had many problems they continued sweating working too much i love this poem.
this was one of the first poems i learned and memorized at the early age of maybe 10 yrs. old. this was when i realized how beautiful poetry is. The Negro Mother is my favorite poem!
this was the first poem i ever learned in school. i was in the 9th ra when I did this poem that was 15 years ago and I can still remember every word from this poem. It’s funny cause I am a very dark woman and when I said “look at my face dark as the night” all my friends began to laugh but…..when i completed that poem I recived a stand O. It made me feel soo good about myself.. I know this is a powerful poem cause my family still remembeer bits and peices from it. I plan on doin it at my family reunion this summer.
THAT POEM REALLY TOUCHED MY HEART. IT SHOWED THE PAIN THAT MANY BLACK POEPLE HAD TO SUFFER, YET NEVER GAVE UP. I AM REALLY INSPIRED BY THE POEM BECAUSE IT MAKES ME WANT TO CONTINUE THIS JOURNEY THAT I HAVE BEGUN, AND MAKE MY ANCESTORS PROUD BY LETTING THEM KNOW THAT THEIR SUFFERING DID NOT GO UNNOTICED. SOMETHING AS DEEP AS THE NEGRO MOTHER CAN NEVER BE CONSIDERED SHALLOW!
I love this poem, it shows how the young black woman respect thier selves it represent the black mother.
I LIKE THE POEM BECAUSE IT DEPICTS THE WORTHNESS OF BLACK MOTHERS.IT REVALUES TGHE BEING OF BLACK LADIES ALLOVER THE WORLD.I THINK I WILL HAVE TO INTRODUCE THE POEM TO MY MOTHER.