Young Love across the racial divide
May 15, 2006I doubt this story would get a sympathetic hearing from the message boards I frequent - particularly from Americans. Just keep in mind that these are two young people who are determined to acheive something in their lives - that should be encouraged, not made fun of.
For weeks, Lionel Kelly studied the shy girl sitting a row ahead of him instead of his earth science lessons. As any 14-year-old boy would, he first noticed how cute she was. Her smooth skin, pink as seashells. Black hair dyed the color of applesauce, curls sprayed stiff, twisted into a long ponytail.
It did not matter that he was black and she was a Latina, even on this Jefferson High School campus scarred by last year’s violent student clashes that cut through black and brown like barbed wire. It did not matter to him, even as stories of racial brawls leaked out of other schools, jails, and juvenile halls.
This story touched a chord with me, mawkish although it may seem to others. I only hope both Beatriz and Lionel can forge the futures they deserve. And let’s be grateful that we live in Australia, and all do our best to make sure this doesn’t happen in our schools.
