Excerpt from my master’s thesis:

There was a family that was particularly—distinctive

It was a white family

For some reason, it was well-known they were poor

They were the stereotypically white poor family

They definitely were treated differently.

 

There was a little girl

She was in the same class as the little boy.

 

One day, the little girl’s felt markers went missing

The little poor white boy had the same markers

The same markers as the little girl’s that went missing.

 

“Hey, those are my markers,” the little girl said

“No, they’re not! They’re my markers,” the little boy said.

 

Because the little boy’s family was poor

The teacher assumed the little boy stole the little girl’s markers

She took the little boy’s markers away from him

The teacher gave the little boy’s markers to the little girl

The teacher called the little boy a liar

The little boy was so upset

His face was coloured red

He was shamed.

 

The teacher did this in front of the class

The little boy was so sad.

 

The teacher assumed that because the little boy was poor

Because he came from this poor family

That obviously because he is poor, he would steal.

 

The little boy had to go home

He had to tell his mom he did not have his markers anymore

His mom did not come to the school

She did not come and ask for her son’s markers back

She did not come and defend her son.

 

The little girl found her markers at home

The little girl was little

She did not tell anyone.

 

The little boy was sad

The little girl was sad

The little girl grew up

She is still sad.

 

She still thinks about the little boy

It makes her sad.