So not the drama, p.7
So Not the Drama, page 7
“He was in Mississippi to visit an uncle. According to his cousin, who was also from Chicago, one day he, Emmett, and some friends went to a local store. Emmett took a photo of a white girl out of his wallet, claiming she was his girlfriend. Boys being boys, his friends challenged him. They dared him to go into the store and say something to the white woman behind the counter to prove he was such a big man with the white ladies.”
She paused and outlasting the last wave of nervous whispers and giggles, resumed her story, never raising her voice.
“No one knows what Emmett said to the woman. Some say he whistled at her. The woman claims he grabbed her and told her not to be afraid because he had been with white girls before. No one will ever know the truth. What is well-known is days later, the woman’s husband and his half-brother dragged Emmett from his uncle’s home, beat him, shot him, and dumped his body in the Tallahatchie River. Another fact: the two men were acquitted of the murder by an all-white jury.”
Mrs. Simms ramped up her lecture. Her voice was passionate. “Emmett Till’s death breathed new life into the civil rights movement! His death, and the outrage it caused among blacks and whites, was the spark that would turn into a flame when later that same year Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white person in Montgomery, Alabama. In death, Emmett Till helped to rid our nation of a little prejudice. Because, even though there was still a lot of strife between blacks and whites in 1955, times were changing. And a sign of that change was the fact that many whites were no longer tolerant of the vicious, cruel behavior rampant in the southern part of this country. The story of Emmett Till made many people think twice about discounting the importance of someone’s life because of their race.”
Her last words hung in the air.
Tiny goose bumps covered Mina’s arms. She’d watched a documentary with her parents about Emmett Till once and had nightmares for days from the images of his battered face. The company of twenty-three other students in the brightly lit classroom couldn’t push away her memories of those images. She was glad Mrs. Simms had spared them the photos.
Convinced the students has marinated long enough in the silence, Mrs. Simms hopped down from her desk and reached out to them, arms wide open. “What I’m asking you to do is open yourselves to prejudice and make a conscious choice either to embrace it or eliminate it from your life. The choice you make will change your world and the world around you.”
Someone spoke up. “But, you’re assuming we’re prejudiced.”
Others nodded in agreement.
Mina sat a little straighter, as if slumping would give away any of her own prejudices.
“Aren’t you?” Mrs. Simms’s eyebrows arched. She drew from a stack of papers and began passing a handout to the tables. “So the upperclassmen don’t give the freshmen crap just for being new?”
A few snorts at that one.
“The geeks and jocks always see eye to eye on what’s cool?” Mrs. Simms stared at a DRB baseball player.
He looked over his shoulder. Mrs. Simms was still waiting for his answer when he turned back around. Finally, he shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“No? What about the café?” Mrs. Simms asked, dropping the handout at Mina’s table.
Mina’s ears perked up.
“Whenever I have lunch duty, I love watching the café. How many of you know about the café?”
Most hands went up. Kelly and Jacinta were two of only four students without theirs raised.
“Well, you’ll find out about it soon enough.” Mrs. Simms laughed. “It’s one of Del Rio High’s best sociological experiments. At least that’s how I look at it. Let me just say this, the café is proof that there are plenty of prejudices within the walls of Del Rio Bay High. Anyone disagree?”
Mrs. Simms walked among the aisle of tables, her eyes questioning the sea of shaking heads. She looked at each and every student she passed while she spoke. “There are many types of prejudice. Racial is just the most obvious. Even if you can’t imagine prejudice resulting in something as horrible as Emmett Till’s death, I’m sure many of you harbor some degree of prejudice against just about anyone who isn’t exactly like you. So, over the next six weeks, your job will be to explore those prejudices and decide how to deal with them. Sociology is about collecting, analyzing, and then interpreting data. And that’s how I want you to approach each and every assignment.”
Mrs. Simms arrived at the head of the class. She held up a finger. “First, you will collect information about one another.Where you’re from, how were you raised, what you like to do, what you want to do in the future. Whatever information you feel you need to understand who each person is.” She thrust a second finger in the air. “Second, you will analyze the information you collect. How is each group member’s lifestyle, likes, desires, and dislikes similar to your own? How are they different?”
She let the information sink in for a minute before punching a third finger upward. “Last, you’ll interpret the information. Does what you know about this person affect how you feel about them? Did you feel differently before you knew these things?”
Mrs. Simms turned to walk away then stopped like she had forgotten something. “Oh, and after today, none of the group work will be done in class. So keep track of the packet I just handed out. It covers all of the details.”
A collective “Huh?” rippled through the room.
“Since we only meet twice a week, we need class time to cover actual theories of sociology,” Mrs. Simms explained. “So, you’ll tackle learning about one another on your own time. The final exam will be a presentation of your findings.”
She took a seat behind her desk and began writing.
The students were mute, waiting for more instruction. Slowly each group began planning when the class realized there was no more.
Low conversations built into excited chatter.
“Well, I’ll start,” Mina said. Her head ping-ponged among the three group mates as she spoke. “To me, this should be an easy project for us.We’re all black, so how many prejudices do we have to get rid of?”
“You mean we’re all black-ish,” Jacinta said. She sniggled openly as she cut her eyes toward Kelly.
“That’s ignorant,” Jessica said. “I’m mixed.”
Jacinta’s bark of laughter made Mrs. Simms look up momentarily. “You mixed with what? Black and dark black?”
Mina was too startled by Jacinta’s boldness to snicker at the joke.
Jessica held her head high and looked down on Jacinta. Answering this was a formality to set the record straight, her rigid posture said. “First of all my mother is white and my father is black. Second, it’s ‘you’re mixed with what’ not ‘you mixed with what.’”
Jacinta peered at Jessica, pretending to take a closer look. “Obviously you convinced yourself you mixed. But good luck perping as a white chick in the real world.”
Jessica pursed her lips, her stance icy and dismissive.
Mina didn’t know whether to give Goldi some dap for busting on Jessica or warn her that she was making one evil enemy. She decided to put them back on track, instead of taking any kind of side. “Look, speaking as one of the three Barbie’s, Jacinta you’ve already put in your own bias. It’s not the best way to start out.”
“Whatever, man,” Jacinta replied. “The project not about making friends. It sound like I’m stuck with you Barbies, Bratz dolls, or whatever ya’ll call yourself. I can’t see how we won’t be spending time together, like it or not.”
“I vote for not,” Jessica sneered.
“Okay, I know what we could do,” Mina said. “Let’s all write down our thoughts on one another, just based on meeting this first time.”
Kelly spoke up for the first time since introducing herself. “So, like, our first impressions?”
When the girls looked at her, she nervously tucked her long hair behind her ear and shrank back into her chair.
“Exactly,” Mina confirmed. She leaned in to be heard over the loud planning of other groups. “We won’t share these first impressions with one another until the very end of the project. And we’ll update our impressions throughout the semester.”
“That’s brilliant, Mina. Not!” Jessica said. “It still doesn’t answer how we’re going to get to know each other. And I’m using that strictly to mean for the class.” She flipped her hair and cut her eyes at Jacinta. “I’m not interested in knowing more than I need to.”
“We could plan to meet after school a few times,” Mina said.
“And do what?” Jacinta frowned.
“I don’t know. Talk or whatever. It was just a suggestion,” Mina huffed in frustration. “Look, no one else is saying anything ... useful.”
Jacinta shrugged. “I don’t get what we’d do after school. Just sit there staring at each other?”
“Well, Miss Grammar, the point of the project is to find out about each other,” Jessica said. “We’ve got to talk at some point outside of class. I hate to agree with Mina, but after school in the library could work.”
“Are you for real? ’Cause I know that hair ain’t,” Jacinta said.
Jessica and Jacinta stared one another down until Jacinta turned to Mina. “I’m saying, so we’re just going to sit in the library and go around a circle and talk about ourselves? That’s not getting to know somebody.”
“Why not? How else do you get to know somebody?” Mina challenged. “Mind reading?” She knocked Kelly’s knee lightly under the table and snickered, but Kelly sat wooden, distant from the drama.
Jacinta gave her a blank look. “I’ll explain this once for the slow crowd. Sitting in the library taking turns talking won’t work ’cause then we’re only finding out what that person wants us to know. That’s why it’s not really getting to know somebody.”
She sat back in her chair and folded her arms. Lecture over.
Kelly leaned in. “Well, what about spending the night at each other’s houses?” She looked expectantly at Jacinta.
“Don’t look at me.” Jacinta raised an eyebrow toward Mina. “Obviously she’s the expert on the best way to do this right.”
“I didn’t say all that,” Mina said.
“Or, maybe Weavearella has an idea.” Jacinta chucked her head toward Jessica.
“At least I have hair,” Jessica said.
Jacinta raised her arms and shrugged. “But whose?”
“Oooh original.” Jessica spoke up importantly. “Look, Quiet Girl, how is the sleepover thing different from the library idea?”
Kelly sat back in her chair, silent again.
“Hello,” Jessica said. “We don’t have all day.”
Kelly pushed at her already tucked hair and cleared her throat. “Well, it’s kind of the same. But I see what Jacinta means about the library.” She threw Mina a quiet “sorry” look. “If we go to each other’s house, we’ll at least get to see where the person lives.”
Kelly paused, waiting for someone to object. No one did. “If we do sleepovers, like on a Friday or Saturday, we meet each other’s family and see how each of us lives.” She shrugged. “Some things might come up that wouldn’t if we only met at school.”
“I think that’s a really good idea,” Mina gushed. A sleepover being homework was up her alley even if it did involve being in the same atmosphere as Jessica overnight. “So, Kelly, how about we have it at yours first? Since it was your idea.”
“Oh, we don’t have to ...” Kelly said.
“Come on, Quiet Girl, it may as well be you,” Jessica said. She took out some paper and began taking notes. “We’ll plan whose next at each sleepover. I have a busy life, so I can’t be spending every weekend with you”—she struggled for a word before settling on—“girls.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you all’s social calendars are like totally full,” Jacinta said in a Legally Blonde accent.
Jessica flicked a finger at Mina and Kelly. “I don’t know about theirs, but mine is.”
“I think this could be fun, if we just ... you know, put our differences aside,” Mina said.
“Yeah, that’s called the point of the project, Mina,” Jessica snorted. “So if we’re all on board with writing our impressions, we can decide what to do with them later. Let’s do our first impressions now so we don’t have to talk.”
A look passed between Mina and Jacinta. Mina was almost certain they were thinking the same thing, “bitch.”
Sociology
August 29, 2005
Jacinta Phillips
I’m not feeling this class, at all. No, I’m not feeling Del Rio Bay High, at all. Already!
My father wants me to give DRH a try and be open to the “experience.” So how does the year start? I end up in a group with the Bobble head ’burb girls. I can’t wait to tell Daddy that it’s exactly like I said it would be—a whole bunch of vanilla faces and chocolate faces that act vanilla. Everybody knows, Del Rio Bay High is one of the snottiest, think-they’re-all-that schools in the county.
My worst nightmare was being stuck in a school full of chatty white girls (and the halls are definitely filled with them). And I end up with their black clones! Oh my bad, Jessica is “mixed.” Is she for real or what?! She’s chocolate as a Hershey bar, don’t have an ounce of hair on her that she was born with and have big thick Naomi Campbell lips. Mixed. O-kay!
Kelly barely said ten words. I have no idea what to think. Mousy? Scared of her own shadow? What’s up with the hair tucking thing?! Oh, but her embroidered capris are hot! I’ve never seen them like that with the flowers patterned down the side.
Mina talks too much! I was surprised her and Swirl weren’t friends. But obviously they’re not because Swirl was straight rude to her. Grow a backbone to go with all that mouth, girl.
I think these girls are tripping. Everyone here is fake. At least at Sam-Well High it would be fake girls I’m used to.
Is the six weeks up yet?!
Sociology
Project Prejudice
August 29, 2005
Observations by Kelly Lopez: First Impressions
We didn’t have LLs at my old school, McKinley Stewart (McStew) school of the elite, shallow, and privileged. But my guidance counselor told Grand she’d pull some strings to make sure I got Sociology because she thought it would help bring me “out of my shell.”
I’m not in a shell, not really. If people talk to me, I’ll talk back. All of that bickering between Mina, Jacinta, and Jessica today—that wasn’t talking. So I chose not to say anything. But here’s what I thought:
Jessica is like every other girl I ever had the misfortune to sit next to at McStew. It’s not enough, for girls like Jessica, to be (think they are, anyway) better than you. They have to announce it. I’m used to it.
I’ll give it to Mina. Jessica was mean to her and Jacinta seemed to ignore her, but Mina never stopped offering her two cents. I could like her.
I get Jessica (kind of), but I don’t understand Jacinta. Why was she so defensive? How can the first words you say to someone be, “Oh great, three black Barbie dolls,” or whatever she said. The funny thing is, it seems like Jessica and Jacinta would hit it off—two ultraopinionated people, sounds like a match made in heaven. Then again, maybe a friendship between two people like that is the first sign of the end of the world.
If nothing else, this is an interesting way to start public school.
Project Prejudice
8-29-05
Jessica Johnson: First Impressions
I have nothing in common with these girls.
And what did I do to deserve a class with chatterbox, wannabe Mina? Last year without her was like a long vacation. Now she’s back. Still the same old Mina, talk, talk, talk.
I smelled ghetto fabulous before Jacinta opened her mouth. Call it a gift. Obviously, she’s not aware that certain rules apply here at DRB High and the first rule is: Know Your Place. Guess I’ll have to play teacher.
I recognize Quiet Girl (what was her name? Kellina?). She lives a few streets down from Mari-Beth. Which means her family has money. First order of business, get the scoop on her; she may come in handy.
My first impression is that someone has played a cruel joke on me by placing me in this group.
Soc
8/29/2005
Observations by Amina Mooney: First Impressions
Okay, I’m going to ignore the fact that I must live and breathe Jessica for the next six weeks. I will not let her or Goldi ruin the thrill of getting an LL my very FIRST semester.
I wonder what it means that I got the LL I wanted (good sign) but ended up with Jessica (hella bad sign). Or is it? Maybe this is our chance to become friends. Maybe this is how I make it into the café through the hard knocks of getting Jess to like me. It could happen ... I guess.
This project is sweet. How often are you forced to get to know someone and decide for yourself if you truly have anything in common instead of basing opinion on all that surface junk (she thinks she’s cute, blah, blah). And I’m going to tell Michael my whole theory that, this is a symbol of things to come, is right! Two Uppers in my class—one in my group (too bad it’s the wrong one)—it’s gotta mean something. Meanwhile, impressions:
Jacinta, AKA GoldiLocks, what’s with the chip on the shoulder? Her ’tude is annoying, not scary. But okay, mad props for standing up to Jessica. For real! So she can’t be ALL bad.
Jessica ... what can I say? Still using your powers for evil instead of good. But you’re gonna love me.
Kelly, I can’t get a real read on you. She has this way of looking at you as if you’re speaking a foreign language. Also, a few times (and I know this is mean) I felt like yelling “boo” to see if Kelly would like jump out of her skin or something. Totally deer in the headlights.
Lunch Outside of the Fishbowl
“I’m so fly, and you, you so not.”
