Victory

Now for my victory.

February is my month. Chocolate. Love. Chocolately Love. Love all over my chocolate.....Lovely Chocolate. ...Black History Month.
I work at a 98% black school and the only thing they learned about was Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks. And whatever BET provides 365 days a year.

My mentor and I decided that we were going to each write a play for our students to perform. Of course this was another competition.

In Class Feb.1
Me:"I wrote a Black History Play for the Class and you guys are going to perform it for the school."
"Ooooh! Ooh! Can I be Martin Luther King?"
Me:"He's not in it."
"Oooh! Oooh! Can I be Rosa Parks?"
Me:"Rosa Parks is not in it. You guys have the rest of your lives to learn about Martin and Rosa, we're going to talk about black scientist, doctors, and inventor-"
16 bored confused faces looking at me.
Me "Look. Did you guys know a black person invented the traffic light?"
"A black person did that?"
16 stares of disbelief.
"I thought God invented the traffic light"
"I ain't even much gon' lie, I thought God invented it too."
Me"No, God didn't invent the traffic light. Gerret Morgan did. A black man."
"But God can do anything!"
Me"Yeah...ok. Through influence of God, Gerret Morgan invented the traffic light. Black people don't just sing and dance, they invented things."
"Ohhhh."


So for two weeks we practiced. For two weeks they drove me crazy. My shit was not together and it really didn't help for me to peek next door and see my competitor's class wearing costumes....Where in the hell did she get a slave costume for a child?? Huh?? Is there a white supremacist costume in there too?? Whatever works. I don't have any money for costumes.
Me "True actors don't need costumes."
"But Ms. B's class has costumes."
Me "Look Ms. S is just poor, k?"
"Man I wish I was in Ms. B's class." Nice. Jerk.

Now before when we had kid productions we had an audience of 30. You can fail in front of 30 people. My competitor invited 200+ people. My competitor had a fancy stage and a card board bus and decorations all over the stage. Her class was started to look like broadway while mine was.....grand central.
Me"True acters don't need a fancy stage"
"Man, whatever. I wish I was in that other class. We're going to suck." Nice again. Jerk.

We practiced and practiced until they did it right. Then they went back to doing wrong. Then they did it right. And then totally lost focus period. Day before the production the black history play turned into a shouting match between second graders.
"Pay attention!"
"Don't tell me my line I know how to read BOY!"
"Shut UP with your bald ugly black self"
"Yo Momma"
"Ms. S he talkin bout my Momma!"
Me "ENOUGH. Is this how we're going to look on stage? Is this how we want the whole school to see you? Is this.....forget it. It's up to you guys. I can tell you right now. That other class has there act together. But us...I dunno it's up to you guys. It's you on that stage, not me...."
I didn't want them to feel like they failed again. I didn't want people to come just to see them lose......
"Do you still want to go up there?"
16 faces saying...."why wouldn't we?" All I could think was. Again, we're going to be embarrassed and but this time. I can see it coming.

Game day
I had it in my head that we were going to suck again. But my students didn't care and neither did I. 200 people so what. I got the speech in my head ready for the aftermath. "You guys did great, I don't care what any one has to say. You all worked hard.........."

My competitor went first. The curtain opened up, 15 students dressed in the cutest costumes...and a set designed with the assistance of the art teacher. And when the first student spoke in that monotone "Hi I'm a kid and when I read out loud I sound like a robot" voice. I thought....well. Maybe we do have a chance. And so went the entire production. Fancy production...nice message....but I was bored.

And then it was our turn. I thought "Ok so since the first class didn't do that great we won't look that bad." And on they walked on the stage. With a confidence.....I had never see before.
And when my first student opened his mouth....he did exactly what I told him. They all did. The audience laughed and "oooed" and nodded heads in agreement. And then they clapped. Not just a sympathy clap either.
We won.
But I didn't do it for the win. I did it to teach some people about

Benjamin Banneker
Charles Brooks
Lennie Johnson
Patricia Bath
Mae Jemison
Dr. Phillip Emeagwali
George Carruthers
Benjamin Carson
Thomas Jennings
Sarah Goode
Charles Drew
Dr. Daniel Hale Williams
Garret Morgan

Google Them.