Journal: November 9, 1956
Today I was able to travel down to Montgomery, Alabama to visit the famous Martin Luther King Jr. that I have heard so much about. I happen to be a white female at the age of nineteen, living in Milpitas, California and when I heard about this bus boycott and all the racism and lynching going on down here I just figured I would take a trip to see for my own eyes what is really happening and hopefully be able to help any way I can. I was able to meet up with Martin and also Abernathy while I was walking down the street they were headed to a meeting so I decided to sit in. It was a shame looking around seeing only five or six white people. It felt like I was in another world, where I came from people mix every man is considered equal whether white or black, but things were much different down in the south then back in Milpitas. Rev. Abernathy was talking about asking other states in the west to make donations to the cause. Since people are walking constantly they need shoes so I volunteered to help make the phone calls to everyone I knew to send any new or used shoes they can spare to these people. My friends were all for it and decided to start gathering shoes the next morning. At least it was a start right? After the meeting wrapped up Mr. King told me for all the help I did today he would lend me a place to stay for the night, which was very generous. We were on our way home when a small group of white men came walking down the street. Martin told me to shift as far outside of the curb so we wouldn’t get shoved off the sidewalk, I was surprised at hearing this because when I walk around my neighborhood I never gave that I thought. They were passing by when one happened to yell back at us, “WE DON’ NEED NO OUTSIDE AGITAT’RS STIR’N UP OUR BUSINESS DOWN HUR!” I knew he was talking about me but I wasn’t afraid, if the blacks down here can deal with this everyday I can deal with it for a weekend.
December 1957: Dear Journal,
I AM SO ANGRYYY! I can not believe I was kicked out the high school the other day. Can you believe this?! Okay, okay so this is how it happened. Ernest Green and I were waiting patiently in the lunch line, not bothering no body at all, like usual. I was so in need of food, it calms me down after a rough day of all these white kids shoulder bumping me and spitting on my brand new shoes mama bought. Do you know those were the best shoes I owned, reminder to self not to wear nice stuff to school anymore. Anyways back to my story, so we were in line and I just got my little side of chili and all of a sudden this little pip squeak of a boy decides to act all haughty and cuts right in front of me, separating me from Ernest. I was just soooo hungry and so tired of how this day was going I just lost it I guess I clenched my fist so tight I though my nails were going in through my palm and out the other end. Ernest looked back at me and Im not so sure but I think I heard him say, “don’t do is Minnijean, stay cool” or something close to that I was just so hot headed, all I could hear at that point was this little white boy trying to get in my face saying, “GO HOME N****R, THE SCHOOL IS WAISTING MONEY FEEDING N****RS THAT DON’T BELONG HERE!” yeah, he was rude, but then again so was everyone else in this school. I was lucky enough to meet a few white girls who were mostly decent people but they would always talk lower of me, I guess its their nature. SO anyways I keep getting off topic, so this boy just steamed me im sure you could see smoke coming out my ears I just picked up my chili and poured the whole entire bowl on his head. He was stunned then the mostly talkative cafeteria room went dead silent I looked around and noticed everyone was in shock, I was even in shock I had to rethink about what just happened because I wasn’t sure if I actually had the guts to do something like that or I was just in some kind of heroic dream and haven’t realized that I didn’t wake up yet. Then from the silence I hear a clap, then sure enough it got echoed by another then it multiplied around the room, all the Negro lunch workers were impressed with me. I was impressed with myself but also, I was ashamed I knew he deserved every drop of that chili but I realized I just jeopardized my education their at Central High School. They ended up expelling me yesterday, for what? CHILI! I just cant believe this if one of those perfect little white kids poured chili on my head everyone would just laugh and put me in the front page story of the school newspaper. Well ill update more about this tomorrow morning.
Sincerely,
Minnijean Brown