Why Are You Obsessed with My Race?

Why Are You Obsessed with My Race? Chapter 18

A

ll eyes were on me when I walked into my history class. I didn't pay them any mind. I took my seat quietly. Stephine buried her head in one of the assigned books that were mandatory to read before the end of the semester. I noticed two ladies were standing in front of the classroom—one black lady with an afro, and a white lady with long brunette hair. Long story short, they are the teachers who will be taking Mr. Callaway's position.

The lady with the afro introduced herself, "Hello, everyone. My name is Mrs. Oliver. I will assistant Mrs. Chester for the remainder of the semester."

Mrs. Chester called the roll and asked everyone did they complete the assignment. Everyone was quiet. Some nodded their heads, and some said yes. I felt the tension in the room, but I decided not to assume. Therefore, I tried to keep my cool and, as always, keep my eyes on the clock on the wall.

"The assignment didn't have anything to do with the 1800s," said Robin. She has red hair, and I love the freckles on her face.

"Why do you assume that?" asked Mrs. Oliver.

"Because ... I didn't find the answers in the book," replied Robin.

This Mrs. Oliver is going to be a problem. I feel it in my bones. "If you read it correctly, it wasn't a chapter in the book. It was an assignment to speak on your behalf about how you feel about race."

Robin's voice was calm, "Why is that important? Haven't we had enough last week?"

"I wasn't here last week," answered Mrs. Oliver in a disrespectful tone.

Mrs. Chester stepped in, smiled slightly, and took over respectfully, but that went left quickly. "We weren't here last week, but we are aware of what happened. We do not want that situation ever to happen again while we are in charge of this classroom. Therefore, we ask you all to talk about your feelings about racism. We want to know, what are your thoughts?" She folded her hands in front of her beige dress, "We want everyone to be able to express themselves. After all, this is a history class."

Cannon, the captain on the softball team, raised his hand, "This is a setup for failure." He shook his head, "Nothing good is going to come from this discussion."

"That is your opinion. However, in order to earn a grade, you must participate," said Mrs. Chester.

"So, if we do not participate, we will get an F for the assignment?" asked Cannon.

Mrs. Chester quickly answered, "Yes."

"Race is made up and created by human beings. If we stop talking about it, it wouldn't exist, but it is people like you who keep bringing it up," said Nate. He is the quarterback on the football team. He continued, "Why are you all here?"

"Excuse me?" asked Mrs. Oliver.

His tone was louder than before, "I asked why are you two here?" He put his hand on his desk, "What are you all trying to prove or get out of this discussion?"

"We want to hear your thoughts since a teacher was fired because of this touchy topic. We should talk about it in a responsible manner, and maybe then, we will help be the change."

Tabitha fueled the conversation with her comment, "Why do people try to make me feel guilty because I am white? I was born this way."

Nate put his hands in the air. "Out of all people, Tabitha, you would say that. What is your reason for saying that? I swear you talk just to draw attention to yourself." He rolled his eyes, "Who makes you feel guilty, Tabitha? Would you want to be black instead of white? Would you want to be any other race?" asked Nate. He closed his eyes for a second, "Now all eyes are on you."