Dirty Sally by Myrtice J. Edwards The ISBN#9781432707743 www.outskirtspress.com/39446A

Below you find an excerpt of her book. Enjoy. Comments are welcomed. Myrcedes is a strong 8 year old girl who was persecuted by her peers, especially her best friend Tyishia. Despite her misfortune, Myrcedes� mom helps guide her spiritually through her

Dirty Sally

 

It was a warm summer day and all the neighborhood kids were outside playing a game called Little Sally Walker. This was Myrcedes favorite game. The game required a kid to stand in the center of everyone and pretend to be inside of a saucer. The children would sing:

 

 

Little Sally Walker sitting in a saucer

Cry Sally Sally cry

Wipe yo weeping eyes and put yo hand on yo hip and let yo back bone slip. Now shake it to the east

 Shake it to the west,

Shake it to the very one that you love the best.

Now turn to the east,

Turn to the west

Turn to the very one that you love the best.

 

Then you point to the next person that will take his/her turn in the center. When it was Myrcedes turn she was so excited. She balled her self up into a fetal like position and when they got to the part that says, wipe yo weeping eyes and put yo hands on yo hip that was the cue to stand up. Myrcedes stood up tall and proud exaggerating her stance with her hands on her hip like her mother would do. The children laughed every time she did that because she was so skinny and she had no hips to begin with.

 

 

 

Then Tyishia shouted, “Cry Dirty Sally Cry”. Myrcedes stopped and shouted back, “Stop it Tyishia don’t say that”. The children laughed uncontrollably and suddenly all of them began to chant; “Cry Dirty Sally Cry”. Myrcedes tried to fight back the tears but she couldn’t. “My name is Myrcedes not Dirty Sally, so stop calling me that” she cried. “That’s not how your suppose to play the game” Myrcedes explained.

 

Then Tyishia replied, “Don’t get mad at us white girl, you’re the one that thinks your black”. Myrcedes gathered her strength and stated, “I may be mixed but I am not confused-you are” and she ran all the way home.

Myrcedes was very upset with all of her friends for being so mean and inconsiderate. “Myrcedes what happened?” asked mom. Myrcedes caught her breath and she was panting and trying to explain at the same time. Myrcedes mom went to the kitchen and got  her daughter a cup of water and she said, “Now Sugar tell me what happened out there”.

 

Remember what happened last year when we were visiting our cousins in Virginia. Myrcedes mom stopped and paused for a miniute to try and remember what had happened, but she was clueless, “No Sugar I don’t tell me again”.

“Remember when my cousins kept calling me Dirty Sally and making fun of me being mixed?” Myrcedes said. “Yes, Sugar I remember. But what does that have to do with today? That’s just how some people are down South I told you that before” replied Myrcedes Mom.

 

“I know Mom that’s why I am upset” Myrcedes cried. Myrcedes wiped the wet dew from her eyes, paused for a second and went on to tell what has happened.   “Tyishia called me Dirty Sally and she called me white!  I was surprised that she would say something like that to me and then she went on and said;  “Don’t get mad at us white girl, you’re the one that thinks your black”. Then all the other kids started laughing and joining in with her, so I ran home because I was mad. I know people down South say things like that but we are in Chicago!!!” cried Myrcedes.   

 

Myrcedes mom was very disturbed by Tyishia’s name calling that she decided to talk with her parents. Myrcedes Mom called over to Miss Smith’s, but she wasn’t home. Tyishia’s mom was out running errands. “Well as soon as she come home let me know so that we can nip this in the bud today” said Myrcedes Mom.

 

Shortly, Myrcedes saw Miss Robinson’s car drive by and Myrcedes yelled aloud, “Miss Robinson home”. Myrcedes mom said, “lets give her a minute to get settled and then we will walk over there and deal with this situation”. Finally, Myrcedes mom said, “Come on Suga lets go”. Myrcedes felt such ease and confidence walking down the street with her mom. Myrcedes mom was always patient and understanding. Myrcedes mom rang the door bell and Tyishia shouted aloud “I’ll get it”. As soon as Myrcedes heard Tyishia’s voice her stomach started to flutter.

 

 

“What’s up Myrcedes?”  said Tyishia. Myrcedes’ mom kindly stated, “Yes Tyishia we are here to speak with your mother is she home?” “About what?” asked Tyishia? Before Mrs. Smith could respond, Miss Robinson came to the door. Myrcedes mom --Mrs. Smith apologized for coming over unannounced and requested to talk with her. Miss Robinson invited them in.

 

Miss Robinson was surprised by the visit. “So what can I do for you Mrs. Smith?” Miss Robinson asked. “I am here regarding a dispute that occurred between Myrcedes and Tyishia today” replied Mrs. Smith. Myrcedes went on to explain what happened and she was still very emotional so it made it a little difficult for Myrcedes to explain what happened, but she finally got her side of the story out. Miss Robinson began to laugh and she replied, “You came all the way over here to tell me that?” laughed Miss Robinson. Mrs. Smith interjected and said “Yes and this is very serious stuff. How would you feel if Myrcedes made fun of Tyishia’s skin color?” Miss Robinson laughed again and said, “So what? Everyone knows that Tyishia is black, but no one know what Myrcedes is. Your kind always intermarries outside of your race and then gets mad because we don’t accept you. Tyisha and Myrcedes are friends and if she can’t take it from her friend how will she deal with it when she gets older” said Miss Robinson.

 

 

Mrs. Smith was very displeased with Miss Robinson’s comments. Myrcedes looked down and she pulled her mom by her sleeve. “That’s okay Mom, now I understand where Tyishia got it from. Let’s go” said Myrcedes in a very sad voice. Mrs. Smith thanked Miss Robinson for her time and she walked away. Myrcedes mom had a long talk with her daughter on the way home.

 

Myrcedes mom explained to her daughter that some people including Miss Robinson are not very accepting of children who are of mixed heritage. Just like her very own family members in Virginia. Myrcedes mom talked with her daughter about maintaining a relationship with God. “Once you have a relationship with God, you will no longer be defined by gender, race, or ethnicity”. Myrcedes’ mom helped Myrcedes to remember the story in the bible about the women of Sychar. Once the women of Sychar placed their faith in Jesus, they received a spiritual identity that transcended all other roles and relationships.

 

 

 

Although Myrcedes was very hurt by what Tyishia’s mom said, she decided to pray for her and she was determined to give the situation to God to deal with. Myrcedes mom was very pleased with how Myrcedes handled herself and how she did not stoop to Tyishia’s level. Myrcedes mom apologized for all the negative things that were said about her and she decided to put the Robinson’s on her prayer list. Myrcedes’ mom  told her daughter, “I am sorry for the things all the mean things that was said to you today, but I do not regret You or marrying your dad who just so happens to be white”.  Both mother and daughter embraced in a long hard hug. “And I don’t either mommy” laughed Myrcedes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.     Have you or someone you know experienced difficulty in relating effectively to people you view different from yourself?

2.     Did the differences make you feel uneasy?

3.     How should Christians reach out to people who are different from you in habits, faith, race or culture?  (Read Galatians 3:26-29)

4.     Haven’t we all sinned or fell short of the glory of God? (Read Romans 3:21-31

5.     How would you have handled what Miss Robinson said to Myrcedes?  (Read Colossians 4:2-6.

6.     Remember to always stay rooted in Christ. (Read Colossians 2:6-23)

 

 

 

 

 

Reviews

[Suzanne Sherif]

Very good story! I think it could be an excellent way to start a classroom discussion about this very sensitive topic. I think we would all be better off if children could discuss these kind of issues openly, so that they could learn to look at the bigger picture. As it is, children only learn about these things at home, and as we saw in the story, the daughter had learned from her mother that her intolerance was okay. And what if that little girl passes down those attitudes to her children?

Keep up the good work!