Rainbow of prejudice

This is the story of a young black male adopted and raised by white parents. The story most specifically deals with issues of racism and race relations. Being raised by white parents but being black gives this character the ability to see racism and racial issues from a very unique perspective. This is only the first chapter. The main character is occasionally referred to as AJ. I'm in between whether or not he should be referred to as Andy or AJ.

First day of school

The leaves rustled in the breeze. Students from every direction headed towards the only real building. One big building, all of the classrooms looked like large trailers. They had wooden steps that were built in front of them. This was definitely not an upscale school. But in a town that consisted of less then two thousand what would you expect?

Students walked towards one large central building, Andy noticed a short dark skinned boy being harrassed by three white kids. He wasn't black, Mexican, or Asian. What was he? Four white students surrounded him from all sides. The tallest of them wore a cowboy hat with the sides folded up.

“Jims pappy reckons he saw some dark colored kid spraying up his shop few nights ago. Seeing as how we ain't got too many dark colored kids I reckon it was prolly you.”

Everyone seemed to ignore what was going on, they all just walked by, at best a few students spared a passing glance.

The dark skinned boy stared blankly into the eyes of the kid with the cowboy hat and responded

“Thats nice,”

“removing paint from the sides of buildins is awfully hard work. It wasn a lot a fun... We got some steam to work off, and you be lookin lot like a punchin bag about now.”

“Thats not happening here.” Andy said from over the cowboy hatted boys shoulder

The boy spun around fast and then jumped back with a look of horrer. Then even a worse look shone on his face, one of excitement. “A genuine Negro,”

“WHAT THE FUCK DID JU CALL HIM!”

The voice seemed to come out of nowhere but shortly after it was heard a large black boy wearing the teams sports jacket and a scowl that would make 50 cents look like a smile emerged.

“Say it again, say it!,” “I din mean nothin by it,”

“HOW IN THE FUCK CAN YOU CALL HIM A NEGRO AND NOT MEAN NOTHIN BY IT!”

“I was jus jokin around honest.”

“Yeah, well how'd you like it if my fist joked around with your face!”

“Thats enough boys. I don't know what your fighting about but all of this yelling is going to stop. If I hear about a single slip up of either of any of you boys you'll be doing detention together for the rest of the week. Now go to assembly.”

The white boys walked off towards the assembly building.

“Call me Mack, you?”

“Andy,” Mack and Andy shook hands.

“Any idea what that was all about?”

“Dunno, that guys always beefing about stupid stuff. Dis may be California but that don't change the fact there are a lot of racists pricks. Watch yourself, people like us we gotta stick together.”

As quickly as Mack came he Left. “thanks,”

Andy turned around to see the boy that this all got started over.

“What was that all about?” asked Andy

“Like you probably heard they think I spray painted a store owned by one of those kids parents. You probably shouldn't have pissed them off just to help me out. That kid with the cowboy hat, his dad owns all four dealerships in town, why we have four of them right by each other in a town this small I can't say... But the point is the kids loaded, no one wants to mess with him. He gets pretty much whatever he wants, if that Jock hadn't stepped in I'd probably be getting stomped on right now. The principal wouldn't have stepped in if a “Jock” wasn't getting ready to fight”

“I could have taken em. Besides, they accused you on the basis that you had dark skin. They could have just as easily done that to me. I'm kind of new here. You wanna help me find my way around, I mean since I did just save your life.” Andy him

“Whatever,” replied the mysterious boy

"What did you say your name was," asked Andy

"Zack"

The entire student body gathered together in what was called assembly. A giant room where the faculty announce various events. This time they would be announcing the “official” start of school, along with introducing everyone to their teachers and giving them their schedules.

Although Andy and Zack were the same age they only shared two classes together...

“History and Art? Hows that work out? How come you have totally different classes from me” Zack breathed a long sigh

“I'm in special ED.”

“Really, you don't seem that special to me,” replied Andy

“No, I mean SPECIAL ED.”

“Yeah, I know what you meant. But why are you taking special ED classes?” “because...” Replied Zack

"Why?”

“For reasons...”

“If you don't want to say thats fine.”

In each class Andy would get a new book or two, and an hours worth of speeches on what would be expected. Its not like they could get a universal standard for how to write a paper or something? I mean it is pretty pointless to take 5 points off a paper because this teacher wants the date at the top right hand corner and that teacher wants it at the top left hand corner. Especially when the class they took five points off of was History or science (a class whose point isn't to teach you writing or literacy). The whole thing just adds insult to injury.

A few of Andy's teachers did stand out though. Such as Robert the Cuban history teacher and the black art teacher. The history teacher always seemed to be very angry and enjoyed using big words to insult us. He seemed to think he was the only one that understood what he was saying.

The art teacher was a short black middle aged male, shiny shaved head. Andy noticed that he seemed to act funny. He didn't try very had to hide the fact that he was checking out a few of the female students. The black part of his eye seemed unusually large, almost dime sized. Andy couldn't put his finger on it, but the guy seemed very strange.

From the very first day the rules of the school were made clear. Andy got corrected on the way he wore his clothes several times that day. Robert The History Teacher warned him that if he wore a blue shirt again he was going to the principals office for wearing “Colors associated with certain Youth Organizations”. Three or four other students wore blue shirts, and another a red shirt. None of them were corrected for their “Clothes associated with certain Youth Organizations.”

Several hats were confiscated from students till the end of the day, the only exception was Jack the boy Andy nearly got in a fight with earlier. Not a single person corrected him for wearing a large cowboy hat. He wasn't even asked to take it off during class.

Jack wasn't very popular, but his dad was one of the richest men in town. That wasn't exactly a great feet, as most of the town had little money. But Jacks dad did donate a lot of money to the school, Jack was untouchable. All Andy had learned during the course of the first day was that life at Forest Lake Christian school was going to be very interesting.

Andy and Zack decided to meet up after their final class at a local burger shop. “So, where do you live?” Andy asked Zack “Off of Pine Hills Road.” “Hey thats not far from my house, we should hang out sometime.” “Sure, my house is usually empty so you can come over pretty much any time.” “Why is it empty?” “My parents are mad at each other. There always at work, when there not at work or fighting with each other they have their own personal business they don't tell me a thing about. My moms trying to start a church or something, and my dad... Well I don't really know, he just disappears a lot.”

“Robert told me that my blue shirt was inappropriate... Something about it being related to certain youth organizations.”

“Is he trying to say that your identifying yourself as a member of the East Side Crips by wearing a blue shirt?”

“I guess so. I think he's just a tad racist... But that doesn't make sense, he's Cuban...”

“Andy, just because someones a minority doesn't mean they can't be racist.”

“But being Cuban, doesn't he know what it feels like to have people discriminate against him? Don't you think that watching people judge you and decide whether or not they form friendships based on the color of your skin would make you feel like not being that way?”

“On the Contrary. Minorities are often the most racist. They look at the good a few members of their race have done, and try to say that all members of their race and them by extension have advantages in these areas. Everyone wants to feel good about themselves, its only natural that this is extended to race.”

“You use a lot of big and well thought out words... Especially on such short notice. Do you think about these things ahead of time?”

“Um... Not really.” responded Zack “I don't get it, you seem really smart. You correctly use a lot of big words that half the class don't understand. You make a good argument for social issues that most people don't even think about... How in the hell is it that your in mostly Special ED classes.”

“Its simple, I don't do my homework. I barely pass most of my tests. I don't do homework unless I find the assignment interesting. My teachers get pissed off because I won't do the homework or study, so they flunk me. I don't really care.”

“But, having a high school diploma will open up options for you. Getting a job without one is supposed to be really hard,”

“If I really cared I'd get my GED when I turn 18. Having a high school diploma proves nothing. The classes and the material arn't at all related to most any job we'll actually get, even if it does require a HS Diploma. Having good grades doesn't mean you'll succeed, how popular you are is a better but not a definitive indicator.”

“So, you really don't care whether or not you pass highschool? What are you going to do when you graduate?” “I dunno, I guess I'll cross that road when it comes.”

“What about you? You think your going to graduate as a black kid who doesn't participate in sports?”

“What do you mean?” asked Andy “The whole schools talking about how you didn't participate in PE today. Everyones still expecting your going to try out for the soccer team, its the only thing this HS is good at. I mean, theres only one other HS in Grass valley, Bear River HS they are our rivals. We only have a competitive soccer team, theres just not enough money or high schools for any other teams. Everything else is classified as a club because of lack of interest, Tennis club, swimming club, etc...”

“I had a legitemate reason for not participating in PE. I was diagnosed with sports induced Asthma when I was twelve. My asthma is fine most of the time, but if I do anything really strenuous I have a lot of breathing problems. I can't run more then two or three blocks straight without wheezing.

“It doesn't matter. No ones going to accept that as a valid reason.”

“It's a legitamate medical disorder.” “They won't believe you. They'll see that your black, and they'll expect you to be the best on the team.

“Thats really messed up.” stated Andy “Life is really messed up,” responded Zack.