Narration
Description
Vocal Characteristics
Language
EnglishAccents
North American (General) North American (US General American - GenAM) North American (US Midwest- Chicago, Great Lakes) US African AmericanTranscript
Note: Transcripts are generated using speech recognition software and may contain errors.
It was my first day at my new school, and already my family had begun to screen the calls to filter the hatred on the other lines. I was given instructions by my family to behave, to mind my manners and to remember the purpose of the task at hand and always reminded of the risk I would be taking on the divergent path of right and wrong. I always found solace in abstaining my academics. There was so much violence going on around me, I felt the only safe place was the classroom. I would go into my own little world to flee from real life stresses in high marks with the results, I walked into my new classroom with the same expectations. I still vividly remember. The unforgiving gaze is leaning their heads to stare, jeering, laughing and yanking at the unfamiliar traces of my hair myself, amongst a sea of white faces, the immense amount of loneliness I felt Onley worsened when I heard the frightening news on November 27th the 101st Airborne Troops, our only source of protection, would no longer be exc ordinance to class each day. That day I was beaten, spat on and forced to the ground after being attacked and lying helplessly on the ground. I was kicked in my side. I slowly looked up at the classmate who knew me not by my name but by the unfamiliar contours of my face. He then kicked me once more my punishment for making eye contact. The only thing that rescued me from the tortures of a school day was the warmth and support of my family. Most times I didn't even tell my mother of the things that the other students had put me through home was my safe haven, where the other students were just a bad dream and I was important. There were several times throughout my journey that I wished I could continue the sanctity of my life before integration. But I knew it was for reason that I was chosen. It was necessary for me to deviate from my comfort and take risks to begin filling the gap of inequality. I was one person in the middle of a much greater event. I felt selfish for the times where I thought only of myself not fully acknowledging the impact I had made, but on Lee. The present bruises pains in ripped garments. But even when I felt alone, I knew that I was not. There were nine of us all unified around one cause. We found relief in knowing that there were eight other people in the world that could relate our struggle. When all the teachers, students, reporters and cameramen were gone, we enjoyed the simplicity of silence in soda pop. After all, we were just kids ourselves. And although we were not all the same age, we impacted history and developed a bond that will last a lifetime, and I was a part of it.