My parents asked, “Do you know what’s going on, Billy?”
“Nope,” I answered honestly.
“They think you hurt JJ on purpose,” Mom said. “They think you hurt her because she is black.”
I didn’t understand.
Throughout the proceedings, I got sat in corners by teachers, pinched behind my neck by principals and yelled at by other parents and grandparents I didn’t even know. At one meeting with everyone and their brother present, one set of parents started yelling and pointing fingers at my parents. They held up a picture of M L King and started spouting off words that were on my spelling list.
A parent said, “You taught Billy to humiliate girls!”
My bottom slid forward a bit on the plastic seat. It was my way of ducking these nasty accusations.
“No, we didn’t. He has three sisters and they love one another,” my Pop shot back.
I sat up straight again.
“You taught him to be prejudiced against blacks!”
Down low again I went.
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