(My grandmother and my father died within three months of each other. I come back to school after two days of missing class.)
Teacher: “Oh, [My Name], where were you yesterday?”
Me: “I am sorry.” *close to tears* “My father died day before yesterday.”
Teacher “Oh, you poor, poor girl. And so shortly after your grandmother died, too.”
Friend: “Well, deaths always come in threes…”
(I’m in my first year of high school. My four-year-old sister is in class with me because kindergarten was cancelled for the day. My sister is allowed in class because she is well behaved and quiet. She is also smart and likes reading books. My class is learning about World War 2.)
Teacher: “Can anyone tell me what caused World War 2?”
(One of my classmates puts up her hand.)
Student #1: “It’s because of the slaves, right?”
(My sister lets out a quiet giggle, knowing this is wrong.)
Teacher: “No. Anyone else?”
Student #2: “Wasn’t it because of America?”
(My sister laughs loud enough for the teacher to hear.)
Teacher: “[My Name], why is your sister laughing?”
Sister: “It’s ’cause they’re wrong. World War 2 started in 1939, ’cause France and Britain wanted to fight with the Germans ’cause they invaded ‘Polish!'”
(My sister then goes on to explain the more complex reasons for the war, at the end of her rant, the class is surprised and looks at me.)
Me: “This is a prime example of what you’re able to do when you read and have a great-grandpa who fought in World War 2.”
This story is part of the Black History Month roundup. This is the last story in the roundup, but we have plenty of others you might find interesting.
19 Terrifying True Stories That Show Racism Is Still Everywhere In Society
Read the next Black History Month roundup.
Read the Black History Month roundup.
(We are in eighth grade home economics class learning about baking.)
Teacher: “All right, class, we already discussed how to use a tooth pick to test if your cake is done. Can anyone else tell me another way to test it?”
Student: *completely confidently and seriously* “Yeah! You throw it against the wall and if it sticks it’s no good!”
(I am 12 years old, in an advanced English class. We’re chatting while writing some notes. Classmate #1 is really into history.)
Classmate #1: *going on about the historical inaccuracies in a movie* “And that wasn’t what the Spartans looked like!”
Me: *baiting her* “How do you know? Were you there?”
Classmate #2: “Yeah, did they have cameras in Sparta?”
Me: *deadpan* “Yes.”
Classmate #2: “Really?!“
(My friend and I usually get together in the mornings before school starts to play cards in the school cafeteria with some of our mutual friends. One day my friend is exceptionally late arriving which is very unusual as he is usually the first one to arrive.)
Me: “Where on earth have you been? You’re late! That never happens.”
Friend: “House burned down.”
Me: *laughs* “No, really. Where have you been?”
Friend: “My house burned down.”
(Turned out his house really had burned down. Guess who spent the rest of the day feeling like a turd?)
