Chapter 16
Two days later, Grady came downstairs and found Jade and Moesha talking together at the kitchen table. "What are you guys talking about?" Grady asked.
Jade smiled. "Since I'm inspired by the fact that Mom's running for superintendent, I'm starting a group to support black people at Westdale. It's a school organization called 'Westdale Association for the Advancement of Colored People.'"
Grady laughed. "So you're like W.E.B. Du Bois and the NAACP."
Jade nodded. "That's right. Moesha's already agreed to join. Do you want in?"
"I sure do," Grady said with a smile as he took a seat next to Jade and Moesha. He looked down at some papers in front of Moesha and asked, "What's this?"
"Well, Jade and I are thinking about giving speeches at school in support of black rights and against racism. My speech is called 'Ain't I a Human?'"
Grady smirked. "So Jade is W.E.B. Du Bois , and you're Sojourner Truth. Is that right?"
Moesha shrugged and said, "I guess so!" She then looked down at her papers and resumed writing. "You know, Grady, you should make a speech as well."
Grady briefly looked up in thought. "Maybe I can share my personal experiences with racism. I can call it 'Narrative of the Life of Grady Brady, a Westdale Black.'"
Aretha passed by with a carton of orange juice. "I guess that makes you Frederick Douglass," she said with a smirk.
Moesha and Jade laughed, and Grady shrugged himself and grinned. "It sure does!"
Later, that afternoon, Ciara opened one of the green double doors of the Brady home and skipped into the living room. Out of habit, she went into the kitchen to look for Chloe but didn't find her. She then went into the den, and that's where he found Marcus and Aretha.
"Hey, Ciara! How was school?" Marcus asked.
Ciara shrugged. "It was okay," she started to say before smiling, "but I had a great time with Camille! Can I go over to her house?"
Marcus nodded. "Sure, that's fine with me. Just be back before 7:00 PM."
Ciara grinned wider. "Great! By the way, where's Mom?"
"She's out campaigning," Aretha said. "People are surprisingly receptive to her complaints about the school system."
"That's great! Maybe we really can make a difference!" Ciara said. "Anyway, I'll see you guys later." With that, she left the den and went outside. She then got on her bike and rode to Camille's house.
Once at Camille's house, Ciara knocked on the door, and Camille opened the door. "Hey, girl!" she greeted warmly as she pulled Ciara in for a hug. "Come on in. Let's do some more planning for our protest." Ciara nodded and walked inside – closing the door behind her.
Ciara went into Camille's room, which was now covered from head to toe with posters featuring the likeness of Malcolm X. Ciara smiled and asked, "Did you draw those yourself?" Camille nodded. "Wow, you're a great artist!" Ciara said.
"Thanks," Camille said. "But let's not waste time. We've got to make more posters so that our message can be seen all over school."
"We want an end to injustices against us blacks, and we want nothing more to do with white people. Is that right?" Ciara asked.
"It sure is," Camille smiled. "And now that we've got even more black people on our side, our protest is likely to go very well."
"That's what I like to hear," Ciara smiled as she grabbed a marker and joined Camille in writing slogans on the posters.