Reading, Sex, Arithmetic
If you know a fourteen year old is having sex would you tell her about this? At tutoring I try to talk to the girls I work with about STD's, Condoms and Pregnancy as often as they let me. It's a huge issue for all little girls with big dreams and especially in Hampden. 6 months ago I was astonished by how very young these mothers were in my neighborhood, living in the dining room of their boyfriend's uncle's house across the street from me. "She can't be older than 15!" But now, I've almost gotten used to seeing young girls, everywhere here with baby stroller and now, I almost expect it.
I'm pretty sure I'm not allowed to talk about sex at tutoring, but if somehow it comes up, then I ask the important questions: Are you having sex? Are you using condoms every time?
Most of the time the girls I work with don't admit to me that they're having sex and say "ewwwww" and shrug me off. But not last night. Last night, she told me everything. She told me how her boyfriend is 18 and a senior, and she spends all weekend at his house and lies to her parents about where she is because if they knew she was dating a black boy they'd kill her. And maybe really kill her. They call her a N-----Lover. But she says the word out loud and nobody turns their head because they hear it everyone say it all the time, here.
She reads at fourth grade level or so and is a freshman in high school. Her speech is slurred and hard to understand. And there is something about her that is absolutely entertained by toys, candy, jewelry and playing with hair, just like a child. Something seems off about her, like she is a child pretending to be grown up and sexy,.... Well, I guess that's what it actually is, isn't it?It makes me wonder what her boyfriend's like. Is he tricking her? Is he being mean or using her? I just want to protect her, just like a child.
She refuses to admit she's white. She says that at her school no one would say she's white. She's a black girl because black girls are cool and can dance. (do YOU know how to do the spongebob?) She told me that white girls are geeky.
"You gotta do something about those bangs. They are way too white girl."
"But, but I am a white girl."
"They gotta go."
"But you're a white girl too."
"No, I aint."
(and on it goes.)
As a matter of fact after she told me that my bangs where "way too white girl" she had to do my hair for me, take off my glasses, and pose me for this photo. She would tell me what sort of pose I should do and I'd mimic it for the camera.
Doesn't my hair look nice?
If you know a fourteen year old is having sex would you tell her about this? At tutoring I try to talk to the girls I work with about STD's, Condoms and Pregnancy as often as they let me. It's a huge issue for all little girls with big dreams and especially in Hampden. 6 months ago I was astonished by how very young these mothers were in my neighborhood, living in the dining room of their boyfriend's uncle's house across the street from me. "She can't be older than 15!" But now, I've almost gotten used to seeing young girls, everywhere here with baby stroller and now, I almost expect it.
I'm pretty sure I'm not allowed to talk about sex at tutoring, but if somehow it comes up, then I ask the important questions: Are you having sex? Are you using condoms every time?
Most of the time the girls I work with don't admit to me that they're having sex and say "ewwwww" and shrug me off. But not last night. Last night, she told me everything. She told me how her boyfriend is 18 and a senior, and she spends all weekend at his house and lies to her parents about where she is because if they knew she was dating a black boy they'd kill her. And maybe really kill her. They call her a N-----Lover. But she says the word out loud and nobody turns their head because they hear it everyone say it all the time, here.
She reads at fourth grade level or so and is a freshman in high school. Her speech is slurred and hard to understand. And there is something about her that is absolutely entertained by toys, candy, jewelry and playing with hair, just like a child. Something seems off about her, like she is a child pretending to be grown up and sexy,.... Well, I guess that's what it actually is, isn't it?It makes me wonder what her boyfriend's like. Is he tricking her? Is he being mean or using her? I just want to protect her, just like a child.
She refuses to admit she's white. She says that at her school no one would say she's white. She's a black girl because black girls are cool and can dance. (do YOU know how to do the spongebob?) She told me that white girls are geeky.
"You gotta do something about those bangs. They are way too white girl."
"But, but I am a white girl."
"They gotta go."
"But you're a white girl too."
"No, I aint."
(and on it goes.)
As a matter of fact after she told me that my bangs where "way too white girl" she had to do my hair for me, take off my glasses, and pose me for this photo. She would tell me what sort of pose I should do and I'd mimic it for the camera.
Doesn't my hair look nice?
posted by j-e-s-s-i-c-a at 3:26 PM
5 Comments:
I love that girl you were talking about. I want to return to tutoring but only if I can have her.
Hmmm. I have a craving to find an inkwell ...
That pictures makes you look like Deb from Napoleon Dynamite.
Fool
"I see you're drinking 1% milk. Is that because you think you're fat? Because you're not. You could probably be drinking whole milk."
Virginia, i might be able to work that out.
...and, I guess I should watch Napoleon Dynamite.
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