Bronx Masquerade

Mr. Ward, a high school teacher in the Bronx, introduces a weekly segment to his class called “Open Mike Fridays” after seeing his students inspired by the works of Harlem Renaissance poets such as Langston Hughes. Open Mike Fridays is an opportunity for Mr. Ward’s students to stand up in front of the class and express themselves through poetry. At first, many students are reluctant to participate. They do not see the value in the exercise and are worried about looking foolish in front of their classmates. However, the opportunity excites a select few students who are eager for an avenue to express their creativity.

In particular, Tyrone Bittings jumps at the chance to perform in front of the class. Tyrone is typically skeptical of the value of education and does not know if he will finish high school. Tyrone’s father died due to gang violence, and he fears the same thing will happen to him. Publicly, he insists that he does not see the point in receiving an education if he is going to die young anyway. However, inside, Tyrone has dreams of becoming a rapper and the idea of being able to present poetry—which is the same as rap as far as Tyrone is concerned—excites him. At the first Open Mike Friday, Tyrone stands up in front of the class and delivers a poem about many of the bad things going on in the world, such as gang violence and police brutality. At the end of the poem, he suggests that everyone needs to work together to help create a better world.

Tyrone’s performance creates a template for the rest of his classmates to follow. Throughout the semester, they each stand up in front of the class and deliver a poem exploring their identities, insecurities, and political persuasions. Some students are struggling to feel like they fit in, while others are dealing with the death of a parent. Regardless of the issue at hand, Open Mike Fridays allow them a venue to express themselves without the fear of judgement.

Part way through the semester, Mr. Ward invites a famous poet, Pedro Pietri, to sit in on the class. Pietri’s presence is a great source of encouragement for the students and even attracts the attention of a local reporter, who writes an article about Open Mike Fridays, which includes pictures of Tyrone and his friends. Throughout the semester, Tyrone realizes that he misjudged many of his classmates, often making unfair assumptions about them because of their race or appearance. By the end of the semester, he comes to have a greater respect for everyone in his class and realizes that he has a lot more in common with some of his classmates than he ever would have imagined. On the final Open Mike Friday of the semester, Mr. Ward organizes an assembly for the entire school to attend, and his students read some of the poems they wrote throughout the semester. He also tells Tyrone that he is putting together a slam poetry event the following year, which excites Tyrone and encourages him to stay in school.