Writing Lives at Bonita Vista High School

The story of an eleven year-old boy’s first encounter with a racial epithet fascinated five student writers who dramatized the incident from varied points of view. Diverse characters such as birds, pieces of concrete, and even a house sprang to life to dramatize this pivotal moment. Here are excerpts from three vignettes based on the same story from Ernie McCray’s life.

The Words that Grew From Concrete	by Marc Kelsey and Jorge Navarro
The House that Spoke	by Irving Hernandez
Untitled	by Daniel Chang
What people say about Writing Lives

Ernie McCray speaks to the BonitaVista High School students who dramatized a pivotal moment in his life.

THE WORDS THAT GREW FROM CONCRETE

By Marc Kelsey and Jorge Navarro

Characters: ERNIE – an eleven year-old boy
CORNELIUS – Ernie’s Cousin
CONCRETE PIECE 1
CONCRETE PIECE 2
TWO BOYS

Setting: Morning through mid-day
Sidewalk outside houses, Detroit, 1949

At rise: Two boys are spraying the sidewalk.

PIECE 1
What? What are these guys doing? Are you ok?

PIECE 2
Yea, I think I’m ok, but I don’t know about this . . . this coloring on me.

PIECE 1
What, what did they put on you?

PIECE 2
I don’t know, but it sure smells awfully weird, and I certainly can’t see as much anymore.

PIECE 1
Here comes someone, hey! It’s Cornelius.

PIECE 2
He’s my favorite on the block you know?

PIECE 1
Yea, yea. Who is that with him?

PIECE 2
Why, I don’t know, perhaps a relative?

CORNELIUS
C’mon Ernie, let me show you my house.

(ERNIE walks over to the house with his head
down, slowly looking to the concrete. He stops
and reads.)

ERNIE
Corn, Cornelius . . . Is this, always here?

CORNELIUS
What’s that?

PIECE 1
Well, what are they talking about? I don’t understand.

PIECE 2
They are staring straight at you! What did those boys do to you?

PIECE 1
I don’t understand.

CORNELIUS
C’mon Ernie, let’s go inside. Don’t go telling Mama now. Don’t want her to get all riled up over nothing.

ERNIE
Over nothing? The words “Go home Nigger” means nothing?

CORNELIUS
I said c’mon.

(CORNELIUS escorts ERNIE to his house)

PIECE 1
Did you hear that?

PIECE 2
I’m in shock. Why would they write that?

PIECE 1
This makes no sense. Can you get it off?

PIECE 2
I’ve tried. Maybe it’ll come off with this weather. Is that all that’s on me?

PIECE 1
I wish I could tell you. (pause) Don’t be upset, there’s nothing you can do about it. I’m sure good old Cornelius will be out here bright in the morning to take care of you. It’s late now. The moon’s rising.

PIECE 2
Well, at least in this dark no one can see this horrible . . . horrible word on me.

PIECE 1
Hey, don’t worry, it’s not your fault.

PIECE 2
I guess you’re right.

(A small clatter offstage)

PIECE 1
Did you hear that?

PIECE 2
Yea, what was that? I can’t see with this spray on me. Who is it?

PIECE 1
It’s, it’s the two boys!

PIECE 2
What do they want now?

PIECE 1
I don’t know. They don’t have spray cans though. (A short pause) They have a can, a red can, and I think the other boy is holding matches.

THE HOUSE THAT SPOKE

by Irving Hernandez

Characters: CORNELIUS’ HOUSE
NEIGHBOR 1
NEIGHBOR 2

Setting: The usually placid streets of suburban Detroit in 1949. As the moon rises,
sinister plots are revealed.

At rise: The night before ERNIE’s arrival, HOUSE hears suspicious behavior.

HOUSE
(thinking aloud)
Phew! Another refreshing night in the cool breeze of Detroit. After all this talk of cousins coming to visit, everyone’s been in such a commotion all day long and I like it. People walking around inside, going on with their business. It makes me feel important. Makes me feel appreciated. I got a good feeling deep down inside about these people and I just can’t figure out why anyone wouldn’t like them. Every time a neighbor passes by I just get this negative vibe from them like they want me gone. Well anyways, these people seem really . . . (pause) Wait. (suspiciously) I think I heard something.

(NEIGHBOR 1 and NEIGHBOR 2 come
out, crouching and constantly on guard for
any witnesses. They begin to write on the
floor. They both have large pieces of chalk
in hand.)

NEIGHBOR 1
(in a subdued sinister voice)
This’ll show them darkies, tryin’ to take over our community.

NEIGHBOR 2
Yeah. Who do they think they are? I’ll be long dead before any darkie comes walkin’ round my house. And if this don’t give them a clue that they ain’t welcome ‘round here, I got a backup plan just in case.

NEIGHBOR 1
Quit your yappin and hurry up. I don’t want to get caught.

NEIGHBOR 2
Ok, I’m done. Hurry up, let’s go.

(They both get up and quickly scamper away)

HOUSE
Those vandals! Just look at what they’ve done to the sidewalk. Why I never would’ve thought in a city like this people would have the audacity to even think of these words. I don’t like this feeling I’m getting. I sense danger.

UNTITLED

by Daniel Chang

Characters: BIRD A
BIRD B
ERNIE
MOM
CORNELIUS

Setting: 7:30pm
Outside Cornelius’ house

At rise: BIRD A and BIRD B are sleeping on CORNELIUS’ roof. They are woken by the sound of a taxi.

BIRD A
Hey… Get up!

BIRD B
What? Man I was sleeping.

BIRD A
Hey, someone new is here. They look like a friend of Cornelius.

BIRD B
I hope they are as nice as him.

BIRD A
What is that young boy looking at? He looks scared.

BIRD B
It must be what ever those kids wrote last night. What does it say?

ERNIE
“Go home Nigger”

CORNELIUS
Oh! That’s nothing.

MOM
So “Go Nigger” is nothing now?

CORNELIUS
Let’s just go inside OK?

BIRD B
Why would someone write that?

BIRD A
I don’t know. Cornelius is such a nice person it just doesn’t make sense.

What people say about Writing Lives

Rick Cooke – Bonita Vista High School Teacher

Writing Lives is so important because these [storytellers] are the people that lived the things we’re reading in our history books.

[Now] Students have a better awareness of how they communicate with their elders.

A lot of students want to go back and talk to their parents and grandparents . . . about their experience.

Interviewing is such an important skill. It’s about building relationships, how to draw from people, and to appreciate what they’re saying. Students need these skills in the business place.

Regarding standards:
We have school-wide expected learning results and one is to be a culturally empowered member of our community. I can’t think of a better project . . . learning stories and gaining wisdom from the people in our community.

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