60- Pink Shoes

Demarcus came to class today wearing a pair of pink sneakers. I didn’t notice until I heard Josh say, “What are you wearing on your feet, you little faggot?”
Demarcus, who is not very intelligent, responded with, “I got new shoes.” The poor kid had not idea what ‘faggot’ meant. I’m sure he didn’t know that Josh was making fun of him. He proudly pointed at his feet, “My sneakers!”
The boy’s sneakers were white and pink. They had pink laces and a little pink butterfly stitched onto each ankle.
I shot a few children, “I-Will-Kill-You” looks with my eyes when I heard them snickering.
Many of my students come from poor homes. Demarcus lives in a two bedroom shack with eight other family members. He is loved, but he is very poor. He is raised by his mother and his grandmother, while his dad serves time in the state prison.
Families like Demarcus’ rely heavily on charities and donations. I am sure that Demarcus got his shoes from some sort of church donation box. Although they are designed for girls, I felt relieved to see that his shoes were in good condition. The weather is starting to turn cold and a pair of thickly insulated, leather sneakers will protect the child’s feet.
Poverty is a delicate subject in our school. It makes me furious to hear children laugh and ridicule their more needy classmates. As a general classroom rule, we are never supposed to use put-downs. In a utopia, this rule may actually stick. In a public school classroom, kids are cruel.
Ironically, the meanest children come from the most affluent backgrounds. I don’t think these kids realize the true nature of poverty. Many times I have considered sending a letter home to individual families, requesting that parents talk with their children about the challenges that needy families face. I have not addressed the class as a whole, about poverty, because I don’t want to make any children feel uncomfortable.