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Description
As part of the Tell Arlngton's Story project, Patti Monroe Meek talks about growing up as an African-American in Arlington and how she came to terms with her identity.
A
My
oldest
brother
Charles,
who
was
not
considered
the
coolest
kid
among
the
black
students
he
played
cello,
which
was
not
considered
cool.
He
was
very
academically
inclined.
He
was
an
artist,
he
decided
to
go
to
Yorktown
and
that
was
the
best
move
for
him.
He
was
taunted
by
a
lot
of
black
kids
when
he
was
at.
You
know
the
black
schools,
because
he
just
wasn't
cool
enough.
My
brother
Tommy,
on
the
other
hand,
was
very
different.
A
He
was
an
athlete
he
was
academically
inclined,
but
he
played
a
woodwind
instrument,
so
he
was
considered
cool,
so
he
fit
in
a
wake
feeling.
He
stayed
there.
I
of
course,
was
bust
and
I.
Remember
my
mother,
you
know
I,
don't
even
remember
why
I
was
bus.
I,
don't
think
my
mother
discussed
that
with
me.
I
just
knew
I
was
switching
schools
and
that
was
it.
I
went
to
Tuckahoe
loved
it
I
fit
in.
It
was
the
first
time
in
my
life
that
I
felt
that
there
was
commonality
cuz.
A
I
listen
to
everything:
I,
listen
to
rhythm
and
blues
I,
listen
to
rock
music
I,
listen
to
jazz
and
there
are
other
kids
who
could
relate
to
that,
and
that
was
a
wonderful
experience.
For
me.
However,
there
were
some
issues
that
are
dealt
with
being
the
black
kid
who's
being
academically
inclined
and
by
the
way,
I
became
so
social
there
that
my
grades
dipped
just
a
little
but
I
was
having
a
little
bit
too
much
fun,
but
some
of
the
I
was
taunted
by
a
couple
of
other
black
kids.
A
Basically,
who
you
know
I
got
the
thing
you
think
you're,
a
white
girl.
You
know
you
talk
like
a
white
girl,
you're
an
Oreo.
You
know
I
had
friends
who
were
wide
and
for
the
first
time
in
my
life,
this
raised
the
question
of
identity.
In
my
mind
and
I
said
wow,
okay,
so
what's
wrong
with
me,
you
know
why
don't
I
fit
in
with
other
black
kids
what's
going
on
here,
so
it
created
this
insecurity,
I
guess
to
some
degree,
but
off
to
williamsburg,
went
to
williamsburg
williamsburg.
I
felt
less
of
that.
A
However,
I
became
more
involved
in
things
like
singing
and
oh
my
gosh.
What
else
I
was
I've
track
and
field,
and
what
else
did
I
do
when
I
was
at
williamsburg
I,
very
drama,
see
you
remember
that
I
was
involved
in
drama.
Had
friends,
it
was
a
wonderful
experience
and
then
I
went
to
Yorktown
the
same
situation.
I
played
powder
puff
football
I
saying
in
madrigals
and
I.
Just
this
wonderful
community
I
had
a
boyfriend.
A
He
went
to
wake
feel,
but
when
it
was
time
for
me
to
decide
on
a
college
that
question
again
popped
up
in
my
mind,
okay
I
do
have
black
friends.
What
what's
wrong
with
me?
You
know
what's
wrong
with
me:
why
is
it
that
I
seem
to
still
have
more
white
friends
at
school
than
I?
Do
black
friends
so
I
made
the
decision
to
go
to
an
all
black
college
and
I
went
there
and
upon
getting
there?
Wow
I
realized
something
there's
nothing
wrong
with
me.
I
clicked
with
everybody.
A
There
were
kids
there
who
love
rock.
You
know
they
love
Chicago.
They
love
Led
Zeppelin,
they
love.
You
know
all
the
same
kinds
of
music
that
I
love
and
it
was
a
wonderful
experience
and
I
went
to
Hampton
my
first
year
and
then
I
transferred
to
Howard
how
it
was
a
wonderful
experience
and
I.
Think
Kenny
can
probably
tell
you
the
same
thing
how
it
was
wonderful,
because
again
the
teachers
were
vested
in
us.
They
understood
as
black
students.
You
have
to
be
better
than
the
white
kit.
A
You
have
to
be
better
because
you
will
come
up
upon
someone
and
that
person
will
see
you
and
if
you
have
one
little
slip-up,
that
person
might
beg
you,
and
so
it
was
wonderful.
I
learned
about
history
at
howard,
I
learned
about
also
I
became
a
little
militant
to
be
honest
with
you.
I
remember
at
that
time
I
said
I
will
never
marry
outside
of
my
race.
You
know
I
will
marry
a
black
man.
You
know
this
is
I,
feel
good
about
myself
for
the
first
time.
I
know
who
I
am.
I
love
my
history.
A
This
is
great,
got
out
of
school
started
working
and
I
was
of
all
involved
with
all
kinds
of
things
met
all
kinds
of
people
from
different
backgrounds.
While
I
ended
up
dating
hispanic
men,
black
men,
white
men,
middle
eastern
minute,
didn't
matter
to
me
and
guess
who
I
ended
up
marrying
yes,
a
white
man,
and
that
was
interesting
because
his
parents,
his
mother,
had
actually
grown
up
around
blacks.
But
again
you
had
that
strict
segregation.
You
didn't
really
communicate
too
much.
His
father
had
grown
up
in
West
Virginia
and
really
had
never
been
around
blacks.
A
So
this
was
a
very
interesting
thing,
I
think
for
him,
but
god
bless
my
mother-in-law.
Oh
time,
god
bless
my
mother-in-law.
The
one
thing
she
told
my
my
husband
sis.
She
said
when
we
were
dating.
She
said
very
early
in
our
relationship:
I,
don't
care!
If
you
marry
a
black
woman,
white
woman,
pink
woman,
purple
polka
dots
I
will
always
love
my
grandchildren.
She
does
that
my
daughter
is
here
today.
Kayla.
A
And
the
one
thing
I'll
say:
I'm
going
to
wrap
it
up
because
I
know
that
my
time
is
coming
to
an
end
as
well.
The
one
thing
I
did
I
mean
I
think
that
growing
growing
up
in
Arlington
was
wonderful,
because
I
had
diversity.
One
of
my
best
friend's
was
was
Jewish,
so
I
learned
about
jewish
holiday
holidays
and
the
Holocaust,
and
these
were
things
I
don't
think
I
would
have
experienced
in
other
places,
and
so
when
I
became
the
parent
of
biracial
children
it
prepared
me.
A
We
talked
openly
about
race
when
my
daughter
was
just
a
little
itsy-bitsy
thing.
I
had
I
had
chocolate
ice
cream
and
I
had
vanilla
ice
cream
and
so
I
knew
she
liked
them
both
had
to
know
that
she
liked
them
both
I
had
her
taste
of
chocolate.
I
said:
do
you
like
it
mommy,
that's
so
good
I
said:
that's
me.
Had
her
tastes
of
vanilla,
do
you
like
it?
Oh
yeah,
mommy,
that's
good.
I
said
that's
daddy!
A
So
then
I
took
it
and
I
mixed
it
up
and
I
had
her
taste,
it
I
said:
do
you
like
it?
She
said:
yeah,
I,
love.
It
I
said:
that's
you,
I
said
you
are
the
beautiful
culmination
of
everything.
I
am
and
everything
your
dad
is,
and
so
we
were
able
to
kind
of
get
through
that
I
said
some
people
will
try
to
tell
you
vote
if
you
have
one
drop
of
black
blood
you're
black.