[Stevie arrives home from school. His mother is in the kitchen making dinner.]
Stevie: “Hey, momma!”
Momma: “Hey Stevie! How was school today?”
Stevie: “It was okay.”
[Stevie slumps into the chair at the kitchen table]
Momma: “What’s wrong baby? Is everything all right in school?”
Stevie: “Momma, didn’t you always tell me that if somebody put their hands on me that I should make sure that they don’t do it again?”
Momma: [Mother rushes to look at Stevie closely] “Yes. Why, did somebody put their hands on you today?”
Stevie: “No, but Officer Friendly was at our school today.”
Momma: “Oh, that’s nice. I used to love it when Officer Friendly came to visit our school when I was a little girl. What did he share with the kids today?”
Stevie: “Momma, he said that more and more young black men are dying by the hands of another black man every day in America before they reach the age of 21. Officer friendly said that kids are dying by the thousands!”
Momma: “Yes child…it’s a mess out there. A young boy was just killed over on 4th Street just the other day, but what does that have to do with what I told you?”
Stevie: “Well, I was thinking. There must be a lot of mothers out there telling their sons the same thing that you told me.”
Momma: “Hmmm…what makes you say that?”
Stevie: “Well, I was thinking...there are thousands of young black men who will never get a chance to put their hands on anybody ever again.”
Stevie: “Hey, momma!”
Momma: “Hey Stevie! How was school today?”
Stevie: “It was okay.”
[Stevie slumps into the chair at the kitchen table]
Momma: “What’s wrong baby? Is everything all right in school?”
Stevie: “Momma, didn’t you always tell me that if somebody put their hands on me that I should make sure that they don’t do it again?”
Momma: [Mother rushes to look at Stevie closely] “Yes. Why, did somebody put their hands on you today?”
Stevie: “No, but Officer Friendly was at our school today.”
Momma: “Oh, that’s nice. I used to love it when Officer Friendly came to visit our school when I was a little girl. What did he share with the kids today?”
Stevie: “Momma, he said that more and more young black men are dying by the hands of another black man every day in America before they reach the age of 21. Officer friendly said that kids are dying by the thousands!”
Momma: “Yes child…it’s a mess out there. A young boy was just killed over on 4th Street just the other day, but what does that have to do with what I told you?”
Stevie: “Well, I was thinking. There must be a lot of mothers out there telling their sons the same thing that you told me.”
Momma: “Hmmm…what makes you say that?”
Stevie: “Well, I was thinking...there are thousands of young black men who will never get a chance to put their hands on anybody ever again.”
