Monyse Peterson An American Girl Story

The riot (ENOUGH IS ENOUGH)

On this day everything would change me and my mom and sister lives forever on 1965, it was a rainy Saturday as we watched the news as my mother did my hair while Delphene was occupied on reading a book , the news came straight on stating what was going on out there in Louisiana, it was a big chaotic riot where you could see all of our colored folk fighting the police and getting beat so bad as they stick up for our rights . The house phone ring and my mom walks over to answer talking on the phone while I watch the tv with eyes locked into it wondering when there is gonna be a change , I mean I went to the wishing tree and wished well what else was there left for me to do ? Out of no where my mom dropped the phone getting on her knees crying loud saying "NO-NO-NO THIS CANT BE" as my sister got up running towards her holding her by the shoulders asking her what happened as she says "my Benjamin IS GONE" my eyes widen while everything in the room felt like it was in slow motion , looking up at my sister as she stutters talking to herself. I couldn't believe what I heard... not papa , not the man who raised me! Not the man who gave me lectures every day and took care of me with all his love even when he was showing his love through being tough on us, my fist balled up I wanted to be mad at the world but in my heart I knew I had to make a change the right way ENOUGH IS ENOGH!

In the next hour the police would come knocking on our door and my mom goes to it answering while her eyes were baggy from crying looking up at them "hi mrs Peterson we are here to inform you about what happened to husband Benjamin Peterson could you give us a minute and come outside the door with us" even though they was outside I could hear them talking ,they stated my father was stopped during the riot and pulled out his car by white police men being beat to death for no other reason then being black. I couldn't believe what I was hearing , it was unfair I didn't want this happening to the next family and the next family who was colored it was time for something to be changed In our system ! I set up all night thinking about what was said over and over about my dad I couldn't believe that this morning would be the last day I seen him and we wasn't speaking as well as I wanted us to because of the argument we had the other day but he still told us he loved us no matter what before walking out that door to work.

The next morning Caroline and her parents come up to our door step knocking on it , my mother walked to it and opened it looking surprised as the white people greeted their self really well, my mother wasn't use to white people taking to us so all she could do was stare as they introduced their selves "hi we are the weatherspoons we live 3 blocks down from you and our daughter begged us to come here to give you some pie after what happened to you guys we are so sorry for your lost" my mother looked them up and down as they say "can we come in ?" My mother softly says "sure" letting them come in I looked up and ran to Caroline hugging her letting out a tear of joy because she was the only friend I could tell anything to and feel comfortable around and I haven't seen her since all of this happened! I needed her at these moments , my mother looked down at us asking "how you two know one another huh" I told her "we met at the wishing well tree mom and ever since she's been my best friend" my mom looked over at her parents "you guys know about this" as they say "yes ma'am indeed, we are from up north so things are a lot more respectful up that way and we believe in equality" as he said that word equality that word stuck in my head from that day and I was on a mission.