I lived in a considerably urban area of town but was bused to a more suburban area for school. I attended a private school during 1st grade and the bus I rode made a few stops for transfers along the way.
I could tell by the looks on all the children’s faces I saw every morning that none of them wanted to ride into my neighborhood to pick me up. I’d get on the bus with them peering at me as though I was putting them in eminent danger. And I wasn’t.
I just wanted to get to school, get it over with, and back home to watch cartoons just like them.
Once I was on the bus I’d head to the back. No one else would be sitting there until other Black students got on at transfer locations.
At first it felt more comfortable sitting in back because, before I knew what being shy and having stage fright was, I felt unsettled when numerous people all gawked at me at once.
After understanding being Black made me different, and in some places unwelcomed, it became a place to mask myself from unpleasant stares and eyerolling.
When I was joined by other Black children it wasn’t any better. They were from better neighborhoods than mine.
Though we shared the same skin color and historical oppression, their Black was chocolate while mine was mud. |THIS.
[By Mr. Joe Walker]
BLACK is a 9-chapter series that deals with race, social perspective, and inclusion. Each entry is based on real life events.
