One of my students tells me that he's six days clean because he's on the "Color Call System." Every morning he calls a certain number, and they tell him a color. If it's his color, he has to go pee in a cup on his way to school. If he flunks the test, he goes to jail for 11 months.
He says his color is indigo.
"Why not blue," I ask, "or red?"
"Because I'm not a felon. The common colors come up a lot more often."
The conversation turns to being arrested, and being pulled over. I tell them I haven't been pulled over since 1996, which they think is hysterical. I tell the boys that I hear a lot on the news about black males being pulled over more often. and I asked if they ever felt picked on. "Oh, no" they tell me. Dontay says, "I get pulled all the time, but it's always for a reason. You know, like I'm speeding, or maybe I'm not wearing my seatbelt." "I've never been profiled, either," adds Justin (who knows the word for what I meant).
Then Dontay adds, "It's no big deal, except it takes forever because they always have to search my car."
"On god!" says Justin. "Cop said his dog could smell pot in my car when I was driving by - even though his windows were closed and so were mine!"
I say, "But you've never been profiled?" and they both shake their heads, "no."
So I tell them about a friend of mine and something that happened in the 80's. They nod knowingly. "I thought things would be better by now. I guess it's too late for my generation ... it's up to yours to straighten this mess out."
Justin perks up. "Yep, Mrs. Phillips. And our generation does learn things quicker than yours!"
Here's hoping, kid.
He says his color is indigo.
"Why not blue," I ask, "or red?"
"Because I'm not a felon. The common colors come up a lot more often."
The conversation turns to being arrested, and being pulled over. I tell them I haven't been pulled over since 1996, which they think is hysterical. I tell the boys that I hear a lot on the news about black males being pulled over more often. and I asked if they ever felt picked on. "Oh, no" they tell me. Dontay says, "I get pulled all the time, but it's always for a reason. You know, like I'm speeding, or maybe I'm not wearing my seatbelt." "I've never been profiled, either," adds Justin (who knows the word for what I meant).
Then Dontay adds, "It's no big deal, except it takes forever because they always have to search my car."
"On god!" says Justin. "Cop said his dog could smell pot in my car when I was driving by - even though his windows were closed and so were mine!"
I say, "But you've never been profiled?" and they both shake their heads, "no."
So I tell them about a friend of mine and something that happened in the 80's. They nod knowingly. "I thought things would be better by now. I guess it's too late for my generation ... it's up to yours to straighten this mess out."
Justin perks up. "Yep, Mrs. Phillips. And our generation does learn things quicker than yours!"
Here's hoping, kid.