Comment from country ranch writer

Excellent

there is a lot to learn about the past and the black history month is a good way for all to learn about such things. All children hear stories of the days gone bye.

 Comment Written 07-Feb-2016

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reply by the author on 07-Feb-2016

Thank you, country ranch writer, for your generous review and stars. Yes, we all can learn things during Black History Month.

Comment from anabellapongasi

Excellent

This is a very well written biographical story, well supported by an old picture from a newspaper clipping. I enjoyed reading your story about your stage performances when you were a schoolboy. Wow what a remarkable life. Thank you for sharing.
Best of luck in the contest.

Blessings,
Anabella

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 Comment Written 07-Feb-2016

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reply by the author on 07-Feb-2016

Yes, Anabella. I am a storyteller now. I just performed this story last Saturday at a Black History Month event in Oakland. My performance on stage began forty years ago as recounted in this story. My mother was the one who worked behind the scene to get me on stage in a positive role. She would be thrilled to hear my story. Thank you for your generous review.

Comment from nomi338

Exceptional

That is one awesome look back into the life of a black dude who got a chance to rewrite the history of the black dud dying first. Congratulations, few of us ever get that chance. Your look back was so touching because so many blacks can relate to being proud of something that our parents found shameful. Shameful because they knew the whole story, while we as kids just thought that being cast as a slave or a victim was not only okay, we actually thought that it was cool. Of course we would grow up and finally realize that our roles were not that cool after all. Thank you for writing this great piece.

 Comment Written 07-Feb-2016

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reply by the author on 07-Feb-2016

Thank you, nomi338, for your generous, six star review. Yes, my mother gave off the vibe that it was not okay for me to play the black dude who died first. Rather than stop me, she gave me a better role. You are right. Few people get a chance to rewrite history. My mother worked to change the curriculum, books, and performances in schools so that children would have diverse, positive images. I performed this story on Saturday for Black History Month. The nearly all black audience related to it. Thank you again for your generous review.

reply by nomi338 on 07-Feb-2016

You are welcome. I have a poem in my portfolio called the tribute, you should check it out. It pays homage to the black actors of yesterday. It is one of my earlier poems and one of which I am very proud. I performed it live at a Black History program. I was approached by a fellow who said that he was from Ethiopia and that the poem sent chills down his back. Wow! As a writer I'm sure you know how that felt.

Comment from Jay Squires

Exceptional

I hope this moves the readers of the non-fiction contest as it did me. You are an excellent writer, Andre, and an inspiring speaker. I tried to paste the URL to my browser that you had in your story, but it wouldn't take.

Still, as she dressed me in my colonial costume, her hands dressed me with the care of a mother dressing the corpse of her son for an open casket funeral. [What a cogent image!]

Great job, Andre. I'm so glad this posted tonight so I would still have a six for it. By the way, you portray a different side of your mother than I remember from your memoir piece. I didn't realize she was such a dedicated, determined woman--very courageous.

 Comment Written 07-Feb-2016

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reply by the author on 07-Feb-2016

Yes, Jay, I did not realize that my mother "was such a dedicated, determined woman--very courageous" until last week when I performed this story at a story workout where people questioned how it was possible for a woman to put on a show so quickly. I looked closely at her resume and learned that at the same time of my story, she was in the schools writing the African American curriculum, conducting black workshops, and recommending multicultural books. My mother putting on my school's first Black History Week event was a piece of cake because brought a lot of talent and passion to this. If she had remained silent, the black dude would continue to die first.

Yes, when I performed that line about the open casket funeral, it stops the audience. People see and feel it.

Thank you for giving my story its first six star review.