Queens, New York, July 1940
That Day was pretty much our Honeymoon. We have our picture taken on the corner of Rainbow Avenue.
The World's Fair had declared a "Negro Week." A whopping seventy-five cents admission could buy you the dream of equality for a whole day.
That is, until somebody decided it didn't.
"Isaiah, did you hear that W.E.B. du Bois himself is supposed to be talking here today?"
"Yeah, baby? What's the man supposed to be saying?
"Oh, it's something about how Negroes have to learn their place, how we have to give up on our hopes to ourselves...you know how he is.
Isaiah glared her down with a serious expression and she did the same.
They both laughed.
"I swear, Faith...you're lucky you finally got yourself a man that don't take you serious!"
"Ha, ha. And it's seriously."
She pushed him slightly.
"Ouch don't kill me, baby!"
By this time, we'd wandered into what they called the Amusement Area of the Fair. This part wasn't so high minded."
There was a stage with a woman wearing a feathered hat and almost completely naked except for the small circles over her nipples and very thin underwear. There was a white old timey Carnival man standing at a podium.
"Step on up, everybody!" Inside, she's real! Only fifteen cents and you can bear witness to a bevy of international beauties in their natural splendor!"
"What in the world?"
"Girl, stands to reason…"
They made their way to the front.
"Even the future has to have a bad part of town."
He raised his hand and show two fingers.
"We'll take two tickets please."
The Carney got down to whisper.
"Uh, hold on there, son! I can't let you in."
"Why not? Our money's good."
"Come on, son. Don't be that way."
He was trying to put on a nervous smile but was clearly sweating.
"Why not? You ain't' give me a reason. It's "Negro Week" right?".
"Yeah, but...look, it's the girls, okay? They'll get upset. They don't like being looked at like they're animals...you know how they are."
"Of all the…"
"Isaiah, honey…Don't."
Her hand was around his wrist and his hand was clenched into a fist.