Ayla Davis 09 February 2012 W3; J. Macy EPIC!!
Born In the Cruel World Where Equality Is Hidden It’s May 16, 1950. A woman in her bedroom is howling with pain at 3 o’clock in the morning. Fifty-four minutes later there’s a baby girl crying.
The woman is cooing her new born Whispering to her baby “One day you will be somebody “Make something of yourself” “You will one day live in an era where racism no longer is present”
Growing Up Zendaya Parker Beautiful inside and out Skin smooth and golden like caramel Always curious Soaking up knowledge like a sponge
Walter Parker Zendaya’s father A man she rarely sees in her life His complexion was like milk to her
He was business savvy Very stern but had a heart of gold
It’s Zendaya’s 4th birthday and her mother is taking her on a special visit to see her dad. Her father is a business man, who lives in an apartment in the city. Zendaya and her family live in the nearest town where nobody can bother them. This would be her best birthday and fondest memory. Zendaya and her mom are dressed as maids to disguise themselves and not attract attention.
“Mama, why, on earth are we dressed to clean houses?” With a crooked smile the mother replied “Zendaya, you have always been my child with the most questions” The little girl just looked and waited for a response “We have to pretend we are maids, So nobody will suspect us of doing things they don’t like. And remember to always address somebody as sir or ma’am, Also you’re not allowed to mention your father name Or anything dealing with him” Although Zendaya was confused She decided not to ask any more questions Questions that she would know the answers to As she grew up and learned more about how the world worked
Zendaya and her mom are in her father’s apartment, and the little girl is comparing her home to her fathers.
Big There was soft furniture placed perfectly like in a magazine The sweetest fruit lay on the kitchen counter,
As if they had just been picked at their ripest and delivered straight to the apartment
Zendaya remembers her lifestyle, and how her family felt about their situation.
Everybody’s content, Visiting dad like this It bothers my older brother Roshon though We all knew it wasn’t fair, But it was the safest way of living Soon we were taken out of school Our dad had civil rights activist tutor us at home When we were in public we had to ignore the fact that we were mixed Being called a mutt, zebra, niggra That was our world But our world became much bigger as life moved on
An Elderly Woman Refuses to Move
Zendaya realizes the real world when Rosa Parks is arrested for sitting in her seat, and not moving. She joins the Bus Boycott by carpooling with family and friends everywhere and not using the bus as a transport.
Tired from a long day working A woman sits in a seat according to the status quo A common elderly woman that nobody really knew She sat on the bus until she was removed Removed because she wouldn’t move The world then knew
The woman barely anybody knew Her names bolded in the papers ROSA PARKS!! No longer would blacks ride the bus They wanted justices Blacks everywhere protested and boycotted They would not ride the bus Until they freed the elderly lady The tired lady that once nobody barely knew
The Children’s March
Zendaya’s worst memory, that she regrets the most. The one she can never take back, but would do anything to change that day.
Not finding it fair, that she couldn’t participate Zendaya snuck out the house and decided she would march that day In the middle of her trotting feet, A blast of water tripped children surrounding her, Clothes were stripped off their bodies Suddenly vicious beast were released from their chained leashes My brother Derek saw me and quickly grabbed my statues of a body I was quickly shoved under a car to hide As Derek was bent over a dog named Nigger bit him Through all the yelling and screaming I heard his leg bone snap Derek fell so quickly and I reached my hand out to grab him
But the dog slashed at his neck with is razor sharp teeth With his last breath “Zendaya RUN!” Red fluid spouted out his mouth Like an overheated tea kettle As soon as the dog left I pulled Derek’s body under the car My eyes stung Salty liquid dripping from each eye one on his chest “I promise not to do anything I’m not supposed to, Just please hold on, please!” Ripping my shirt sleeves to apply pressure to Derek’s neck was hard and pointless Nothing would save his life now I was now alone and terrified I wasn’t going to move for nothing My sister Navaeh and brother Roshon arrived soon “I’m not leaving without Derek” Navaeh nodded her head and helped me from under the car Dead bodies of all ages paved the roadway It was a new layer of paint that would be stripped away by hysteric relatives After that day Navaeh wasn’t the same after that day She had lost a part of her She lost her best friend The only one she had shared anything with She lost her twin
Sometimes You Can’t Trust Everybody
1965, Jimmie Lee Jackson, was killed participating in a demonstration one night. He was shot and beat defending his mother from the police. This resulted in the Selma March.
Who do we trust, when even the most trust worthy are unreliable? A silver badge, uniform, and ID This is the costume I saw on men working in law enforcement It was only a costume after hearing about Jimmie Lee Jackson We were supposed to trust police somewhat Instead they beat the innocent and defend the cruel Due to the police brutality the Selma March was created A march my father and brother participated in My mother didn’t want them to go but my dad was firm with his belief “I can’t just let them think beating a woman is right, I have to take a stand”
Happier Times Arise
April 1968 Happiness was all around the house Roshon was going to be throwing a black cap into the air in May Navaeh would walk down the alter in ma ’ma’s wedding dress in June The civil rights movements were starting to become a quicker success to everybody Even though Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated civil rights pressed on Many would die for this life cause And most would be thankful
This Generation Today
I weep everyday
People have become comfortable with the words nigger and nigga Said so freely like it has no negative meaning I hope someday we will stop degrading ourselves like this And learn to respect ourselves