Dear Diary,

I’m really happy! Today our school got books. New ones! We got a room I think it’s called the libary or something like that. It’s filled with lots of books. All the pages are white and the words aren’t smuged and the pages smell fresh. They have books for everything! My favorite book is The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. We also have different classes. The older kids get to learn geografy and history. We are starting on reading and English. That’s my favorite. I don’t really like math. The books help us because they tell us how to do the subjects and give us the knowlegde and stuff. We also have something called a “guidanse” person. We get to talk to them about our feeling. But feeling are for babies! I almost forgot to tell you I made a friend the other day! They go to a school near ours, but they don’t speak like us. There’s a lot of kids that are in fifth grade but they are learning second grade english. I know cause my friend told me. She said they have new classes too but for kids like her that can’t speak like me. I think that’s really nice because now she can speak with me and be my friend. My brother’s school is also changing too. He not in school though he is in colleg. I heard him talking to mama about how there were hundreds and thousands of students. That’s a lot! He said he also got a scolarship which mama and papa were really happy about. They told me it meant that he could go to colleg for really cheap and that he didn’t have to pay them back later. He said he had something called a “major.” I don’t understand what that means but he said it was “civicks.” I think he said he wanted to make cars or something but now hes getting an edumacation to do that.

Father,

Sylus is getting better. He had a rough case of tuberculosis and we didn’t know if he would make it. The doctors originally said we were looking at about 3 more months because we couldn’t afford the treatment he suggested. I don’t know how it happened but a miracle struck. We were in debt and about to lose our house. Thinking about taking Sylus out of school to help us at the store killed me but it seemed like the only option. Then the sickness hit, and we didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how George would cope if Sylus passed away, I really didn’t. I still remember the day he came home crying; tears in his eyes and a smile so big only God could have laid upon his face. He told me about this program that our President has established. It basically gave people without a lot of money medical care. By golly, we were jumping with joy! We immediately went to the doctors the next day and we got the medicine Sylus needed. It has been almost three weeks since Sylus has been helped and he isn’t bedridden anymore. I know we’ve got bills to pay and money to worry about but when I see his little face smiling again all the worries melt away. I honestly didn’t know how I felt about the President at first. I didn’t know much about him. But now I know he was made to be in his place. I am ever so grateful of what he has done and without him I don’t even want to think about what would have happened to Sylus. I can see what he does for others everyday. Miss Reyan, the grandmother of Sylus’ friend that lives next door, is in this program called Madicare. She get health care just because she’s 67! That put a weight off my shoulders. Now I know I’ll be in good hands when George and I get older. The reassurance and the care that’s been given to us is overwhelming, but I couldn’t hope for it any other way. I just hope it keeps getting better and see more changes for us. The people without the riches should be able to live a good life too.

Love,

Mary

Today we got our first house. No, not in the city. We moved far away from here. Because in the first time in my life we were able to live amongst our white brethren. The suburbs aren’t such a  bad place. Everyone here is white though and I’m pretty sure we are the only black family within the next thousand mile radius. The houses all look the same; white roof, white windows, white door, and white walls. I’m not complaining though. The neighborhood is a lot safer than in the city. Everyday I had to wait until Leah was done with her job so I could walk her home. Mom didn’t want nobody to lay a hand on her. I always had to watch out for Leah and Raf because I was the older. Some nights I would hear gunshots or yelling. It just became a custom. And every night we went to sleep we made it like it was the last time we were going to see each other. We didn’t know if we would all still be there when we woke up. But now it’s different. I don’t have to worry about taking Leah back from work or getting hit by a bullet. I do miss our neighbors though. I wish our neighbors would come over for dinner and a chat one day but for now they just try to avoid eye contact and any conversation probably because they think we will hurt them. I’m still thankful though. There are better schools here too. Leah is doing well in her classes but Raf really need to catch up. I’m still in shock to see how far we’ve come. Never did I ever picture the day where Leah would be attending a school in a nice neighborhood with an excellent education and it not be segregated. A mix of cultures is always a good thing. You know? I’m very proud of mom as well. She plan to vote in the next election. I can’t even believe I would be writing these words down. Vote! She’s been reading the newspaper non stop as soon as she gets home. She wants to know all of the politics and be informed so when she votes she can, “use the power given to her and make a change.” That’s what she always says. “The voice given to me will not be taken away.” She a real smart lady I can’t help but think. She doesn’t even have to take a test anymore to vote. Though I bet she would’ve passed because she so smart. Slowly but surely I’m feeling more comfortable in this world. To see how far we’ve come. Man, our my eyes beholding something new.

Alex

Dear Malone,

I finally went camping after three years. Boy, was that an adventure! I used to just stay home and read about nature. Was it sure funny looking out the sky then to the pictures in the book. The book showed a place with skies so blue you couldn’t tell where the water began and the sky ended. The trees were too green they didn’t even look real. The flowers were different colors: yellow, orange, even blue and purple! But everyday I would lose myself in the books and when I would look up I would get sad. Boy, the city was a such a sad place to live in. The skies were as gray as the mice that lurked the streets. There was overflowing disposals from the factories just spilling into the streets. It was even going into the water! The air was mixed with pesticides and food in the markets didn’t even smell fresh. But now it seems like everyone is starting to care. About the environment of course. There's so many acts come into play I can’t even list them! Boy, I hope our city will look like the photos in the book one day. They’re trying to make cleaner air and water which is good for people like me who have to fuel our lungs with this filthy air. Maybe my asthma will get better. They’re even working on thing I didn’t even know were a problem. Did you know that animals were becoming extinct? Well they are and their trying to stop that. The rivers and trials are being saved too. That’s how I got to my camping ground. I took a trail up and got to take in the beauty of the nature. I forgot to tell you we need to also be careful about our cars. We have reductions from the emission standards of 1963. I’m thinking about getting a new car so I won’t have to drive my old gas guzzler. I don’t want to hurt the earth anymore than it already is. They’re trying to make the cities look better. Move the focus from the countryside to where I live. Boy, do I appreciate that. I live with the factories and buildings. It would be nice to see a blue flower growing, you know?  I still hope that one day if we try real hard and if the government act keep going, that the city would look like the pictures in the books. The sky would shift from gray to blue and the air would be new.

Well see ya later,

Bobby