Love Changes All

How Love Helped Change the World


Sixteen Years. Sixteen years (well almost seventeen) and she had not really experienced anything different in her life. Why was that? She was a very smart girl, and knew how to get what she wanted…so what was the problem here? Then she realized what it was—her color, Black. Well, she was not exactly “Dark-Skinned-Black” but she had a lot of it in her. Ugh, segregation and rights was such a setback for the Colored, especially the ones who were not actually colored. She hated how all the white kids got all the breaks; how they could see all the movies close-up while she had to sit in the back. She really hated how the glamorous white girls could go right down the street to the Langley Crest Plaza and buy whatever they wanted when she had to take the bus 6 miles to West Philly when she needed a new pair of socks. If she had a chance to be seen as white, she would make it worth her while. “Wait…didn’t she have that chance?” she asked herself while glancing down at her arm. Her friends always told her that if she wanted, she could go to a random white restaurant, order lunch and no one would know the difference.
At that moment, she decided to make a promise—no a commitment—to herself. She would do something new for once in her life, even if the risks could be dire. “I, Dawn Amber Williams, commit to discover more than this side of life,” she smiled to herself in bathroom mirror. She was determined to accomplish her goal—even if it killed her.

Meanwhile, on the other side of town in a white middle class neighborhood, Ms. Willis called her son downstairs.
“Jonny!”
When Jonathan heard her, he carefully put down his pencil and closed the sketchbook in which he was writing. He then tucked it underneath his mattress, and rushed downstairs to see what is mother wanted.
“Yeah Ma?” asked the seventeen year old once he reached the bottom of the stairs.
“I have to go into work tonight. Deb has the cold, so I’m covering her shift ,” she stopped rumbling in her purse to give a knowing glance, “you know how much we could use the money.” She returned to her rumbling, “So I need you to help your brother and sister with their homework, put them to bed, and take them to school in the morning.”
“Uh, I was actually planning on finishing some of my drawings tonight Mom,” Jonathan replied quietly. “I don’t even have anything to turn into my counselor next Friday for the NYU application.”
Ms. Willis thought for a moment. “I’ll tell you what, if you babysit the kids tonight, I’ll take Friday night off so you can catch up on your work, okay?”
Jonathan walked in the living room and glanced out of the window as if pondering the offer. His mother noticed how his hair looked in the setting sunlight. It was a forest of auburn-brown with, if you looked just right, winks of blonde highlights seemed like tiny pieces of gold among the whole mass. Just like his father, Sarah Willis thought to herself, the father he will never get a chance to know.
“That’ll work,” Jonathan answered with a smile. “Just make sure you’re not taking off a night that we can’t afford.”
“Last time I checked I thought it was my job to worry anbout you guys and not the other way around.”
Well,” Jonathan recoiled with a sly smirk, “if we don’t worry, then who will?”
They both laughed together as Ms. Willis gathered the last of her things and headed for the door.
“You have a goodnight Jonnyboy,” she said as she turned the doorknob.
“You too Ma’,” Jonathan replied. Then she left.
Jonathan picked up his sister’s shoes and his brother’s notebook. “Well, I guess it is gonna be a long night,” he chuckled to himself.

When Dawn heard about the Beer Blast the next day, she knew it was the chance she had been waiting for.
“So whatchu’ guys got going on Friday?” Veronica, her best friend, had asked her and their other friend Daisy at school. Dawn had just finished writing the heading on her paper:

Dawn Williams
World History
November 4th, 1964

“Nothing much,” Daisy responded unconcerned , “why?”
“’Cause Lawrence is having a party that night and I want my girls there with me! His parents just bought that new lake house and he’s been dying to trash the place.”
“Wait, Lawrence is throwing a party? Didn’t he just have one last month at his big brother’s place?” Daisy asked puzzled.
“Yeah, but you know how Larry is, every time the crackers throw a party he has to have one the same night and try to top it.”
Dawn’s ears almost literally perked up. “The whites are throwing a party Friday night?”
“Yeah, a Beer Blast at the roller rink over on Oceania Dr. The white kids haven’t stopped talking about it all week.” Veronica said unconcerned. “But I was thinking about wearing my new skirt and that pink blouse I got—“
“Hey what time’s the party V?” Dawn asked excitedly.
“Like at 9:00, the same time as the white one,” Veronica replied, completely unaware that Dawn was asking about the Beer Blast and not Lawrence’s party. “Are you going Dawn?”
“Nah, I’ve got something I’ve been meaning to do that night,” she looked down and returned to her work, hiding her growing grin. Friday was going to be a blast—a Beer Blast.

That evening Jonathan sat on his porch.
“Dude will you cut that drawing crap out?”
“No way Billy, I still gotta come up with something cool and new for my application.”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you have to sketch a picture every second!”
Jonathan sighed and then looked back up at his friends “You know I love you and Eddie like brothers, but sometimes you guys can be a total pain in the butt.”
Eddie laughed, “Jonny, you’re seventeen, man! When was the last time you even left the house, Bro?”
“Fine.” Jonathan put down his notebook, “I’ll just finish my drawings Friday night.”
Eddie and Billy stared at him as if he slipped into Greek.
Billy chuckled. “Never mind Jonathan, you keep drawing—‘cause there’s no way you’re gonna get any work done while babysitting those siblings of yours.”
“Well, actually…” Jonathan paused before he spoke again. “I my mom gave me the night off…”
Eddie’s eyes became wide with amazement, “What!? Little Jonnyboy actually has the day off for once in his life???”
Billy jumped off the front porch and put up his hands as if waiting for a standing ovation. “You know what that means, we gotta celebrate!”
“Uhh, I wanted to finish my drawings that night, I really didn’t wanna go out anyway.”
“C’mon man, don’t be such a total buzz-kill!” Billy begged.
“Mmm.. I guess. But I can’t stay out too late so I can finish my work,” Jonathan said sternly.
“Okay, okay Mr. Willis. But we’re gonna blow the roof off the joint Friday, and I know just the place.”
Where? Jonathan asked nervously.
“Tony’s dad rented out the Roller-Rink for his birthday so he can have a Beer Blast . It cost two of his dad’s paychecks and one of his own but I hear it’s gonna be worth it.”
“Alright, sounds like fun,” Jonathan lied. God I hope I can just get it over with, he thought to himself.
***
When Dawn first entered the roller rink that Friday night, it was what she had expected—white kids everywhere doing the craziest things while dancing. What she had not thought of, was that she did not know one person there, so she just stood by the drink stand, moving her hips to the beat and watching the scene. More exciting my butt, she thought to herself, I guess I will not be having my fun night after all. At that moment, Jonathan walked in with Billy and Eddie, laughing about how most of the people here probably did not even know Tony or that it was his birthday, when he saw her. She stood there sipping her punch dressed to perfection. She was beautiful, but in a different way, something about her features was not the same as the girls at his school or around his neighborhood. Instantly the world slowed to a stop and the only thing that was on Jonathan’s mind was a girl that he had never even met. He had not even realized he was starring so intently until Billy shook him.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look at something that hard before,” he teased. “What are you looking at?”
“I was just noticing the girl over by the table that’s drinking.”
“You like that chick over there? Go talk to her bro!” Eddie urged.
“I don’t know guys,” Jonathan replied.
“It’s ok dude, you’re a pretty good looking kid,” Eddie joked as he pinched his cheek.
“Shut-up Ed,” Jonathan said annoyingly. He walked over by the girl, got a cup of punch and stood there. “So,” he said to her, “pretty good party huh?”
“Yeah,” the smiling girl responded . “Just kinda sucky for me because I don’t know anyone.”
“Oh really, are you new here?”
“Um, yeah I am. My dad’s a professor and visits colleges around the country to give lectures.” Okay, that was not entirely a lie. Both her parents were professors; she just had to add that little part so he would not go around looking for her.
“Oh, cool; so what’s your name?”
She looked up at him, and her brown eyes sparkled in the disco lights. “Dawn… Dawn Williams.”
“That is a beautiful name; it is almost as beautiful as the girl who owns it.”
She blushed, and then quickly put her heard down. When she rose, she had a dangerous grin on her lips.
“Thank you, but I’m sure you tell that to a bunch of girls, she responded.
“Actually, I don’t usually talk to girls like this; I’m sort of a loner.”
“So, what made you change your ways tonight?” she asked intrigued.
“I honestly don’t know. I think it’s you.”
She laughed and he fell in love with the sound.
“Me?”
“Yeah you, there’s just something about you. Once I saw you, I immediately knew my life would be a total waste if I didn’t come over and talk to you.”
“Why, don’t you have a way with words? What are you—a tragic writer?”
“A starving artist, actually,” he said with a dramatic voice. “But that’s only on days my mom doesn’t feel like cooking.”
She laughed again and her eyes sparkled.
“Well, I know you don’t want to waste the entire night talking to a bum like me, would you rather dance with one?”
“I’d love to,” she answered with a brilliant smile.
They both went to get skates and then headed for the floor. Unfortunately, Jonathan, so caught in the moment of sounding like a witty actor, forgot that he had not skated since he was seven, and even then, he was quite terrible compared to the other kids.
“It’s okay,” Dawn had said. “Hold my hand; I’ll teach you.”
By the end of the night, they had danced to eight songs, fell sixteen times, and were 100% sprung. Before Jonathan turned to leave with his friends, he turned to Dawn.
“Do you think we could hang out again sometime, next Friday maybe? I know talking isn't really my best talent and I’m not the cool guy type you go for—I’m probably more like the loser brother in the shadows, but—”
Dawn but her finger over his lips. “Friday sounds great. And for the record, I always had a thing for the ‘loser brother’.”
Jonathan tried to say something funny and cute like she had, but when a pretty girl touches your face; you lose brain activity. Therefore, it actually came out something like “I’mafekdnvdkglooadush.”
“You are so cute,” she said. Then she kissed his cheek. “See you Friday.”
Jonathan joined Billy and Eddie who had been watching.
“Wow,” Billy said aghast, “maybe Jonny has more game than we thought.”
Jonathan looked straight at Billy and shook his head. “Shut up Bill,” he said as he walked past the two. “I’m driving!” he called from over his shoulder. Billy and Eddie ran up to join their friend.
Meanwhile, Dawn who had been watching as the boys left was now trying to come up with a way for her to leave out the back without anyone noticing that she was walking back to the Colored mansions down the block, and not the white neighborhoods.
***
The date was amazing and soon became another. Soon,