An Elementary North Carolina Education From The Past

(Supply, North Carolina)

"Hey, Robert... how was school today?"

"OK, I guess..."

"Why don't you put those books down on the table and come over here. You can help me crack some of these Pecans while you tell me about your school day."

"OK. What you making?"

"I thought I'd make a pecan pie with all these nuts from the pecan trees. We got so many nuts on the ground out back that I'm going to have to give some away."

""Can't the squirrels eat them?"

"Nothing can eat that many Pecans. Actually, I spoke to Mr. Grissett the other day and he said he'll buy as many bags as we can gather for him. I'm sure he can resell them in his store."

"Oh..."

"I thought you and Ron and I could bag them tomorrow, what with it being Saturday, and all."

"OK... can we do it before Looney Tunes comes on?"

"Sure. You think you and your brother can get up before 9:00. We'll need about an hour. Can you get up at 7:30 in the morning?"

"Yup..."

"OK, then... that is the plan. Now, suppose you tell me why you looked so grim when you walked through the door a few minutes ago. Were the usual kids on the bus acting like monsters on this Friday?"

"Yea... it was Pam and Mark."

"What did that brother/sister tag team of horror do today?"

"Mark called me a Nigger again and all the white kids on the bus laughed."

"Again..."

"And, of course, his sister had to throw in black Nigger."

"My god... I'll take you to the school on Monday and talk to Mr. Patterson. It probably won't matter none, but I'll talk to him."

"It won't matter, you know..."

"Yea, we'll see about that. So, what did you do to respond to those nasty words?"

"Well, I know you told me to ignore them but I couldn't. When the other kids started laughing I got mad and called them all 'Crackers!'"

"Did Mrs. Graham tell you to sit up front behind her when all that mess started?"

"Yes. ma'am..."

"OK, let's just concentrate on us this weekend. We'll take care of that school business Monday."

"Alright, mom... but, I have a question I need to ask you."

"Go on and ask it..."

"When I called Mark a 'Cracker' the last time he called me a Nigger, and you had that talk with me, you never told me what 'Cracker' really means. When granddad calls white people a 'Cracker' he always tells me that I'll learn one day. Can today be the day?"

"Sure, Son... I guess at 9 years old you should really know what that word means. And, I suppose I should be the one to tell you. When Slave masters disciplined the slaves in the time of North Carolina slavery either he, or his henchmen, would use a bullwhip to punish the slaves. When the bullwhip snapped the tip onto the flesh of the slave it made a loud "Crack" sound. They also used the sound to put fear in the slaves, too. When the slaves heard the sound in the distance, they knew that either someone was being whipped... or the slavers were practicing making the sound. And so, black people called white people 'Crackers."

"That is an awful story, mom."

"Well, first thing first... that was no story. Don't you ever forget it. That word means a scary time for the Africans who were made less than humans by slave owners. And second... I am not going to fuss at you for using that word. I just want you to remember what 'Cracker' means when you call a white person that word. You are calling a white person a "Negro Hating Pain Giver" when you say that. So, always remember the word I taught you when you were seven... context! Do you know what I mean?"

"Yes, mother... I absolutely know what you mean."

"You know, son... it's now 1972. When you're my age in... let's see... how many years from now... 2013... I'm betting America will have grown socially to the point that white people and black people will be fully equal and words won't matter because everybody will love everybody else. I'm looking toward the future as being a time of love and respect. Do you believe that, too?"

"Yes ma'am, I do believe that. I want a fun future..."

"And I want that for you, too. OK, son... pecan picking tomorrow, church Sunday, I'll talk to the Principal Monday and then we're off to the future... to 2013. The voting rights act passed only a few years ago. The future has to be brighter, right? It has to be brighter..."

"I hope so, too."

"OK, son... pecan pie making for me and home work for you."

"Thanks, Mom... and I love you."

"I love you too, son."

RLJ