02 Scott Green “How to Speak the ‘King’s English'”

Transcript

Well, you know, we’ve always been involved in some kind of fight or another for our rights. I mean, long before I was born, my sister can tell you how Mother had Thurgood Marshall, when Mother was fighting for equal rights, equal pay rights for black teachers. That was my understanding. And this is before I’m born. And the fact of Mother having to graduate, and she tried the best to keep the details from me, but when they sent the cap and gown in the mail but some kind of way it was in a box. They said Mother just got her Master’s degree in education, I don’t know what it was, but she could not participate in the ceremony. And from what I understand, I think they could’ve done a better job on that brick that they put up on that walkway.

So we came from, you know, we came from a background, between our mother and our aunt those were the best days of my life in terms of learning. When it was all over with, you knew how to speak, well the hell with it, call it the King’s English. But you learn how to speak it and to the point where, and this is before Ebonics, I guess although we’ve always had some kind of form of communication besides the traditional. But no, Mother and Auntie, they were, woo, and never use the word ‘ain’t.’ If I misspell any word, misspell, mispronounce, took it out of where it was supposed to be if it wasn’t there in the first place. They were right there on our case. I said, well ain’t this something. And I knew then that I had something special in those two women. That was something special. It’s very easy now. Look at how, you know, nobody takes time with kids out here now. They got all this garbage that they gotta deal with. But nobody takes the time. Mother and Auntie, they made sure that we knew how to function in the world. My mother, since I’m the last one, my mother taught me how to take care of myself. And when I say myself, I used to help Mother with her dresses when she was in college. Help her do the dresses. I’d have to put the damn thing on and mother would do the hem. But I learned how to sew from my mother. Matter of fact I have a couple sewing kits at the house now. I don’t mean just putting a button on but you know, if I have to hem my pants or something. But I learned that from, and especially how to take care of yourself. And when I say take care of yourself, you know, it’s basic to be clean. You don’t have to have a whole lot of money if you have certain things ingrained in you. But this was growing up in the Green household.