Thursday, December 10, 2015

"You understood it as much as a Negro possibly can, I know that, my Mandingo."


Sarah's mind once again slipped wistfully into the past, to that One Hot Summer in 1957 in Madison County...

"Miss Sarah, do you think there will ever come a time when us Negroes can goes to a White Folks College?

"Oh my wonderful, silly Mandingo: of course not. White people go to white colleges because of their white brains."

"But I has a brain, too."

"Yes, my love, but it is a Negro brain: they are shaped differently."

"Us Negroes have different-shaped brains, Miss Sarah?

"Of course, Mandingo. The Negro brain is smaller than that of a white person: they are flatter, almost like a pancake. Science tells us that."

"Gee, that is a tough break."

"Don't despair, my Mandingo: the Good Lord gave you all the brain you need to be able to do all of your Negro things."

"Negro things, Miss Sarah?"

"Negro things, Mandingo. Like lifting heavy things, and doing simple repetitive chores. Why, negroes could be excellent garbage-men if it weren't for them then taking honest white folks' jobs."

"But I taught myself to read, Miss Sarah."

"Negros can learn to read, but that is only because God wants them to be able to read the Bible some."

"But I read "Moby Dick," Miss Sarah: I understoods it and everything."

"You understood it as much as a Negro possibly can, I know that, my Mandingo. But surely you don't think you read it as well as a white person at a prestigious college?"

"I guess not, Miss Sarah."

"Of course not, my Mandingo. There is the white brain, then the white Retard brain like cousin Ben, the Chink brain and then the Negro brain, And then there are horses and dogs and the like."

"It is good to be smarter than a horse, Miss Sarah."

"Oh, my Mandingo: if you were a horse you'd be a very smart horse indeed...


I am Laslo.




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