A Special Essay From the Lady Geek
"Mixed Girls and Mama's": A Personal Journey
"..she
raised me to never ever forget I was on parole, which means no black hoodies in
wrong neighborhoods, no jogging at night, hands in plain sight at all times in
public, no intimate relationships with white women, never driving over the
speed limit or doing those rolling stops at stop signs, always speaking the
king's English in the presence of white folks, never being outperformed in
school or in public by white students and most importantly, always remembering
that no matter what, white folks will do anything to get you.
...Mama's
antidote to being born a black boy on parole in Central Mississippi is not for
us to seek freedom; it's to insist on excellence at all times...There ain't no
antidote to life, I tell her. How free can you be if you really accept that
white folks are the traffic cops of your life? Mama tells me that she is not
talking about freedom. She says that she is talking about survival."
An Essay By:
Kiese Laymon
