“What we talking about is making a difference. The problem is that we get this crazy idea that what we see in Oakland is everywhere, but it ain’t,” I said. “Life ain’t Gee Dub. Life is what is going on at all those white private schools with the three black teachers and six black custodians and security guards.” I felt my anger growing. “But the only way to change things is to prove their ignorance and racism is wrong.”
“How?”
I didn’t answer for a long moment.
“We cannot let them scare us into just being athletes, entertainers and drug dealers,” I said. “We can be so much more.” I tried to think of the right words. “Remember when we talked about the Bill Gates Millenium Award and y'all said you were going to apply. You should. We should. They have limited our dreams. They have lowered our expectations. One of you could be the first, but that ain’t gonna happen if we don’t try. We can’t knock down the doors that are locked and barred for us without one of us having the key to those locks.”

Excerpt From
JUST ONE MO
Mark T. Sneed
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