Q: Okay. Do you plan to go to college when you get older? A: Yes.
Q: Do you know what college you want to go to? A: I think I want to go to Alameda.
Q: Alameda College? A: (nods his head)
Q: My next question is, have you ever felt ashamed of your culture and if so, can you please describe a situation? A: Well, once I have because everyone kept on laughing at me because – because of the way my – because the way my, uh, because the way – my family’s color.
Q: For real? A: Yeah.
Q: Okay, umm, my next question is, what is something that gives you hope? A: Definitely, my best friend James. Q: Your best friend James? A: My best friend James.
Q: How does he give you hope? A: Him – he gives me hope because he – he inspires me to do things. Him – he works with me – he works with me 24/7. We go outside, practice basketball, football, and then, like, sometimes my cousins – my cousins we come – they come over and we just start working, doing our school work and then after my mom says I’m done, we go outside. We study for a little bit before we go outside, then we go outside, play basketball, football, and it just be a lotta fun, and my – my other friend, Chris McCullis, he inspires me, but he moved to Boston.
Q: Okay. Does he inspire you to do better in school and in sports? A: Uh-huh, he told – he tells me to eat healthy. That way I can be fast like him... he’s super fast.
Q: Okay, my next question for you is, do you have any adults that you could open up to? A: Yes. I can open up – open up to my Uncle David, my Auntie Tiandra, my mom and my dad, and um, one of the coaches, his name’s Coach Al. He was a good coach that I could rely on, and my Auntie Jan.
Q: Okay. Uh, do you have a place that you feel safe, and if so, why? A: I feel safe at school, at home. At school, because I know nothing’s gonna hurt me and ‘cause I know I have a good principle, and I have great – I have good teachers, and great umm, great people that can help me. And at home, because
TRANSCRIPTS: MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: ANTHONY MACK
Q: My next question is, what is it like being a young African American man in Oakland? Well, kid? A: It’s... it’s good because, umm, because I can do a lotta things, build a lotta things, do a lotta things for my African culture.
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