In this short story, from the 1853 abolitionist collection Autographs for Freedom, Parker shares a heartbreaking tale that shows some of the damage enslavement inflicts on families.
In this story, Antonio learns that words have power, and that can be both a good and bad thing. As Mother’s Day approaches he must decide how to show his love for his mother and her partner and whether he wants that declaration to be public.
My third-period students rushed in at the start of class, wide-eyed and excited. Something had happened. “Quentin hit Ms. Combs!” Helen Combs was my friend. She taught language arts. “He knocked her down,” one student reported. “They took her to the hospital, and the police took him away in handcuffs!”