I was the only brown person in class.
So when we talked about slavery, I could feel every eye staring at me behind my back.
When the teacher talked about picking cotton
and slave shacks
and sisters being sold away separately, I wanted to slide out
of my seat and onto the floor
and drift out the door.
My mom had told me before that her great-great-grandmother, on her mother’s side,
was born enslaved.
But she died young.
So we didn’t know much about her.
And so I should be grateful to go to school
and learn.
I was.
I loved to learn.
But…
Comprehension Questions
1. Who was enslaved in her family?
A. Her great-great grandmother on her father's side
B. Her great-great grandmother on her mother's side
C. Her great-grandmother on her mother's side
2. How did she feel when her class talked about slavery?
A. That every eye was on her back
B. Anxious
C. Eyes drilling into her
A. That every eye was on her back
B. Anxious
C. Eyes drilling into her
Your Thoughts
3. Did you like this excerpt? Why or why not?
Vocabulary
4. List any vocabulary words below.