My Battle For Equality

Chapter 11

This is a picture of Soufiane.

"I dressed the way I did not because I was trying to be a nun, but because it felt good—and because it made me feel less vulnerable in general, like I wore a kind of armor every day. It was a personal preference."

- Tahereh Mafi

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My second class was AP Literature &
Composition.

On my way to the classroom, I had received three insults. When I finally arrived I saw that everyone was already there.

"Come here, kid." I was on my way to a desk when the teacher noticed me.

He was a 48 year old man with glasses. The man was wearing a white button down shirt and black trousers.

On the blackboard he had written: Mr. Hudson.

I went to the front of the classroom.

"I think you're in the wrong class, the ESL course is in building C."

"I actually speak and write English perfectly. But I can also speak Arabic, French, Dutch, German and I can even translate Latin."

He looked at me surprised.

"Where are you from?"

"California."

"Where are you really from?"

"I am born in California, sir."

"And your parents?"

"They are immigrants from Morocco."

"Children, listen," he looked at me and the rest of the class. "These people are a danger for our country, remember 9/11. They steal our jobs and money. They come to our country speaking another language and have another religion and culture. And now they think they can handle being in AP Literature & Composition with the smartest kids in this school. Have you ever read some English literature?" He asked me.

The whole class was silent. Most of them were afraid to say something.

He embarrassed me, he talked bad about me and my family in front of everyone.

"A wise woman once said that it’s never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is, it doesn’t hurt you."

I said to him while I was looking him in the eyes. I just quoted Harper Lee. She has written To Kill A Mockingbird one of my favorite books.

"So you know Harper Lee? Just because you have read a book from her doesn't mean you have the same knowledge of books as the rest of the class. You know Oscar Wilde?"

"Of course I know him. In The Picture of Dorian Gray he said that there is no sin except stupidity." I said.

I know he was trying to let me fail but I know my books. And I tried to tell him quotes with an insult in them. I saw him getting frustrated.

"Jane Austen?"

"'The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistencies of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of merit or sense.' She wrote this in Pride and Prejudice." I said.

He was silent for a second. Everyone was silent and just staring at me.

"So is that enough for you? I bet that nobody had to do that. Have you ever heard of abuse between teachers and students? An example of this kind of abuse is discrimination based on protected categories, such as race, gender, or religion. And if it's necessary the whole class can testify." I said to him.