The BLACK Side Of Town

A RUDE Awakening...

This wasn't just any ordinary town. It became famous for a couple of different reasons. It was set up sort of like a twin city, of all things, due to a thriving neighborhood and a very uncompromising mob mentality. The basic mindset was we stay over here and y'all stay over there! And even though there were two opposing sides in such close proximity, things were just about as peaceful as every other place during that time. That was welcomed news to the man who was in charge of maintaining order; the chief of police. His name was Adam Toller and he lived in Tulsa, very close to the dividing line, with his family. Things were so separate that there was practically a line drawn down the middle of Main Street that signaled where the two sides met. We the people of the United States, in order to make sure that every town is segregated...seemed to be the unspoken motto.

Chief Toller's family consisted of him, his wife Rachel, and his two sons Michael and David. On this particular day, Chief Toller decided to go to work a little later than normal so he could discretely watch the evening shift's operations. When he got dressed for duty nobody was home because Rachel was at work and his boys were still at school. He grabbed his hat and made a beeline for the front door. He was very proud to be one of Oklahoma's finest! He got into his patrol car with a sappy smile on his face. The Chief tested all of the lights and the radio then he headed on his way. As he slow rolled down Main Street, he waved at all of the shop owners who he recognized. All of a sudden, he noticed a young man wandering down the sidewalk as though he was lost. When he was about six feet away, he reached over and rolled down his passenger side window.

"Hey boy! You are a long way from Greenwood aren't cha?" Chief Toller asked.

The young Black man stopped in his tracks and slowly turned his head in the direction that the voice was coming. When he saw it was a cop, he raised his hands straight into the air. He started shaking and sweat beads began to form right above his brow on his forehead.

"I work down at the hotel sir and I was taking my lunch break right now," he said. Then, he stood there in silence.

While Chief Toller continued eyeballing the young man, he put the gear into park, turned his ignition off, and opened his door. He maintained eye contact as he walked over to him.

"What's your name boy?" the Chief asked with a look of disgust on his face. "Well... are you gonna answer me or am I gonna have to beat the black off of ya?" he asked when there was no immediate response.

The young man opened his mouth and began trembling. He tried to speak but the words didn't come out. Just as the Chief reached for his baton, he spoke.

"Ant...Ant...Anthony," he said.

"What is Ant...Ant...Anthony?" Chief Toller asked with a smirk on his face. Anthony looked away and lowered his head.

Just then Mr. Stevenson, the manager of the Broadway Hotel, walked down the sidewalk by where they were standing. Mr. Stevenson recognized Anthony so he stopped.

"And what is going on here?" he asked the Chief and waited for a response.

Chief Toller was startled because he didn't see Mr. Stevenson coming. Anthony raised his head and his eyes lit up for a moment.

"Well hello sir. I was just seeing if I could help Anthony find his way back to where he was going," Chief Toller said.

Mr. Stevenson looked as though he was in disbelief.

"Well let's just make sure that Anthony is able to get back to that desk before his break is over, okay?" Mr. Stevenson replied.

"Definitely sir!" Chief Toller responded.

Mr. Stevenson continued walking down the sidewalk. The Chief watched until he had gone out of sight.

"You are very lucky boy! Don't let me catch you walking around here again!" Chief Toller said with his voice raised.

"So sorry sir. Can I go now because I need to use the restroom?" Anthony pleaded.

Chief Toller got directly within inches of Anthony's face and began... "I don't know about a restroom but you can take your monkey ass around back!" he shouted.

Anthony frowned and, with his head lowered, walked towards the back side of the buildings.

"And you better get back to work on time!" he paused. "I can tell that somebody is gonna test me today," the Chief added as he walked back to his patrol car...