Zuhana

Chapter One: Black Rapunzel

ZURI

No, she didn't.....

No, this fool really didn't....

I really try to be an understanding person at this ignorant high school. Timberlake High's population is filled with ninety-one percent of ignorant white students. At least according to our pamphlet, yet they forgot to include the ignorant white staff as well.

Mrs. Williams (A.K.A. the school's theatre instructor) summoned me to her office over the school's deluxe speakers. When I arrived at her office I was expected to see a blue-eyed middle-aged white woman, with a terrible spray tan, and long blond locks sitting at her desk.

I was highly confused when I saw a woman with blond box braids cascaded past her waist sitting at Mrs. Williams' desk. She could be mistaken for a light-skinned black woman from behind. Her eyes were glued to the computer screen resting on her desk.

"Excuse me," I politely addressed interrupting the woman. When she turned her head I was met with the same blue eyes, I've grown to despise since freshman year. Mrs. Williams' decided it was a good idea to walk into Timberlake High with some box braids. To top it off, she's not even wearing her daily stud earrings. Instead, they're replaced by these huge hooped earrings, that's probably large enough to be a necklace.

I've tried to tolerate Mrs. Williams throughout the years because she is good at her job. She put's on amazing plays, musicals, or other theatrical events. I am truly blessed for the opportunities she's given me from freshman year until now. I thought I would be able to make it till senior year tolerating her, but I just might crack this junior year.

Mrs. Williams wants to be black....so bad! She would kill to be black and I get it. I truly do. We're amazing, gorgeous (our melanin be poppin'), talented, legends, and etc. I mean who wouldn't want to be black? Yet, there is a fine difference between appreciating our culture and appropriating it.

Just because you have a black husband and mixed kids, doesn't mean you can walk around wearing box braids because your family's black. YOU ARE STILL WHITE!!!! Who let her walk in this school thinking it was ok to wear these? Who even gave her the idea to think this was ok? Why didn't her husband say anything about this? Why didn't her kids (who go to this school) not stop her from doing this? They're all probably as ignorant as she is.

"Zuri! Hey sista! I just wanted to have a discussion about the Black History Program." Mrs. Williams greeted.

'Of course." I answered attempting to stretch my lips into a welcoming smile. Sista. She called me sista. Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! Get yo child before I do!!!! She always does this. To every black student she encounters, she always tries to talk 'black.' This is just one of the many things I've grown to dislike about Mrs. Williams.

Just last week a white kid greeted her in the hallway. She beamed, "Hey! It's so good to see you!" Yet, when Antonio (a good theatre friend of mine--who is black) walk passed her whole dialect changed. She literally said, "Yo Antonio wassup dawg!" She attempted to do a handshake with him too. There is just always something with her!

Throughout the years I've always told myself: You're here because you love theatre, and this school has an amazing theatre program. Do not let her get to you. I say this yet it gets hard and harder each year. This just might be the final straw.

"Please have a seat. Just give me one minute. I forgot to do attendance from the last class."

My eyes spot Petunia: An ugly green couch. Petunia has been living in this office since my first musical here. Freshman year she was ordered for our musical Seussical. Why the couch was needed was truly beyond me. Mrs. Williams ended up not even using it. So the couch has been living here for three years now. The theatre kids and I decided to name it Petunia.