ADAMS (CONT’D)
Anyway... we’re studying the Middle Ages -
JAYDEN
Before Black people were invented -
ADAMS
And I’m going to need you to pick someone to bio for your midterm.
JAYDEN
Aw, man...
ADAMS
Everyone else has to write a biography -
JAYDEN
Richard the Whatever, Pope this the First, Queen whatever the Second -
ADAMs
History isn’t just a list of names and dates - it’s people who lived and died, had an impact or tried to, who made a difference or didn’t. We’re who we are because of them, what they did. Everything we are is because of history.
JAYDEN
Your history.
ADAMS
Our history.
JAYDEN
Nah, it’s all about you, your history. Ya’ll come from this little crippled-ass, frozen finger of land sticking off Asia and ya’ll teachers and historians think the whole world revolves, the whole universe revolves around your history. Whole continents get set aside like nothing happened there until White people showed up. And when you did show up you burned all the books, tore down the cities, killed off the kings, stole the gold, and then said “See? These motherfuckers ain’t ever been shit.” Telling us that in the whole world - most of which ain’t Europe - nobody did nothing because it was the Middle Ages? Well it wasn’t the Middle Ages everywhere! Other places it just was when it was, and shit was happening and people were living and dying and painting and writing and fighting and wining kingdoms and empires and getting respect and knowledge and just because they weren’t in Europe none of that counted? Where’s the badass nigga who gets his respect? Nowhere. See, what you teach, all your history is like some big trick. It’s a scam, a great con. Because they in charge now White people write history to make it look like it always been like that, like it was inevitable.
Pause of realization.
JAYDEN (CONT’D)
That’s why they really write us out of history. Ya’ll are afraid that if we knew how badass we usta be, that we usta kick ya’ll asses on the regular, we might just remember - and do that shit again.
ADAMS looks at JAYDEN for a moment, then pulls a sheet of paper from his backpack, holds it out to JAYDEN.
JAYDEN (CONT’D)
What’s this?
ADAMS
Everybody else already picked, so you get the last name on the list.
JAYDEN reads the paper.
JAYDEN
Couldn’t come up with no Black people, huh? We were still on the shelf.
ADAMS
History is written by the winners, Jayden It’s not fair, and it’s not my fault It’s just the way it is. Now you have to turn in something -
JAYDEN
(a plan)
Tell you what, Mr. Adams - History Teacher. I’ll do it -
ADAMS
Good.
JAYDEN
If you can name me twenty famous Black people.
ADAMS
Twenty? I could name a hundred.
JAYDEN
Who are famous for something besides sports or entertainment.
Pause.
ADAMS
Something besides -
JAYDEN
Sports or entertainment.
ADAMS
Fine...okay. Twenty Black people. Easy. Barack Obama, of course...uh...Martin Luther King...Junior.... and...Oprah -
JAYDEN
Talk show host. That’s entertainment.
ADAMS
Okay... oh! Malcolm X! And... and... Rosa Parks...and...
Long pause.
JAYDEN
Four. But if I’d said sports you’d be at fifty by now. My mom says people forget whatever they think is unimportant. So I guess if we aren’t entertaining you what we do just isn’t important enough, is it, Mr. -
ADAMS
Deal.
JAYDEN
What?
ADAMS
Write the paper, I’ll make the list.
JAYDEN
Naw, man! You’ll just Google “Famous Black people!”
ADAMS
I won’t, I promise. I’m a teacher, I should know this. But you gotta write a paper, too. Next semester we’re doing modern history, and you can do Malcolm X, Nat Turner, and ... hey! Nat Turner!
JAYDEN
Five.
ADAMS
But in the meantime - (indicates name on paper) Baddest of the badasses, made all the Europeans and everyone else shit themselves. (covering cussing in front of student) Which is from the Middle English word “shite,” so history, so I can say it.
JAYDEN
Can I?
ADAMS
Not in class. Oh, and you have a project partner.
JAYDEN
Why?
ADAMS
Everybody has a partner. Another reason you should have signed up early.
JAYDEN
Okay, okay. So...a baddass, huh... (reads paper) Genghis Khan...
BLACKOUT
