What's Color Got To Do With It

by

Bruce Conrad Davis

Chris Peavee and Josephine Turman, both African-American sixth grade girls lived with their mothers in Waterman Gardens, a low rent housing project in San Bernardino, California.The girls hated each other.

Chris, tall for her age, was skinny and fast on her feet. She could bob and weave like a professional boxer. Josephine was shorter than Chris. According to the school nurse Josephine weighed two hundred pounds. Because of her weight she walked slowly.

But Josephine was one hell of a tetherball player. In tetherball a ball is suspended by a rope from a upright pole.To win the game you must slap the ball so hard the rope wraps completely around the pole. It was game over when Josephine hit the ball.

Chris didn't play tetherball. Hopscotch was her game. Chris could “dance” her way through a game of hopscotch without touching a line. Both girls had a hard time finding kids that would play with them.

When Chris wasn’t playing hopscotch she bedeviled Josephine. She made sure she was just out of Josephines reach. One day after the ? students had returned to class from lunch Josephine raised her hand.

“Yes, Josephine?”

“Mister Davis, Chris Peavee says I’m so black I’m purple. Am I purple?”

I imagine most teachers can recall a time when they weren’t sure what to say or do. I decided to go slow hoping I’d think of a way to defuse the issue.

“Well, Josephine the world is made up of people of many different colors. Look at Patsy.” I pointed? to Patsy Mena, a Mexican girl seated at her desk in front of me.

"Patsy is light brown. Kind of like coffee with cream,” I said. Patsy smiled.

“Yeah, Mister Davis but what I wants to know is am I purple?”

“Josephine your skin is purple but that’s okay,” I said.

Chris cracked up. She leaned back in her chair and laughed her head off. Josephine got a look on her face like she wanted to kill Chris.

Saved by the bell. It was time for the kids to go home.

I watched out the window as the kids walked back to the project. Chris danced around Josephine like a boxer staying just out of reach of his opponent. I could imagine what Chris was saying.

The kids went in to the trees surrounding the project and I lost sight of them.

I was grading math papers when I happened to look out the window. Oh no! Coming across the playground as fast as she could walk was Josephines mother.

She burst in to my room.

“ Mister Davis, did you tell Josephine she was purple?

“I did, but…”

"Thank God. I've been telling her she's purple since she was born."

“Never you mind Mr. Davis. I just wanted to thank you. I've been telling Josephine she was purple since she was born. Thank you, thank you, thank you.