African Americans: Always having to prove themselves
I was a high school teacher for 42 years. Several years ago an African American young man, who had been my PE assistant for 2 years, graduated and went to college.
Four years later he returned to see me at Stadium High School. He related a first semester college story.
He had turned in his first English paper. The professor called him in and demanded to know who wrote the paper for him. He replied three times “I wrote the paper.”
The professor didn’t believe him and gave him a writing assignment on the spot to prove himself. He completed it, the professor read it and finally said “Where did you learn to write like that?”
He replied, “in high school.”
He had come back to Stadium that day to see me and to thank his English teacher.
Why does an African American man have to prove that he could write a college paper?
Diana Kuhr, Gig Harbor
This story was originally published June 18, 2020 at 9:18 AM with the headline "African Americans: Always having to prove themselves."