“My Own Quotation”

“Give respect and equal dignity to all.”

-Respect one another because in the eyes of God we were created in his own image and likeness thus we deserve to be treated as a human being which is the highest form of creation. 

“The Telephone Conversation”

Telephone Conversation

by Wole Soyinka

The price seemed reasonable, location

Indifferent. The landlady swore she lived

Off premises. Nothing remained

But self-confession. "Madame," I warned,

"I hate a wasted journey—I am African."

Silence. Silenced transmission of

Pressurized good breeding. Voice, when it came,

Lipstick coated, long gold-rolled

Cigarette-holder pipped. Caught I was, foully.

"HOW DARK?"... I had not misheard... "ARE YOU LIGHT

OR VERY DARK?" Button B. Button A. Stench

Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak.

Red booth. Red pillar box. Red double-tiered

Omnibus squelching tar. It was real! Shamed

By ill-mannered silence, surrender

Pushed dumbfoundment to beg simplification.

Considerate she was, varying the emphasis —

"ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?" Revelation came.

"You mean — like plain or milk chocolate?"

Her assent was clinical, crushing in its light

Impersonality. Rapidly, wave-length adjusted,

I chose. "West African Sepia" — and as afterthought,

"Down in my passport." Silence for spectroscopic

Flight of fancy, till truthfulness clanged her accent

Hard on the mouthpiece. "WHAT’S THAT?" conceding

"DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT IS." "Like brunette."

"THAT’S DARK, ISN'T IT?" "Not altogether.

Facially, I am brunette, but madam, you should see

The rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet

Are a peroxide blonde. Friction, caused —

Foolishly madam — by sitting down, has turned

My bottom raven black — One moment madam!" — sensing

Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap

About my ears — "Madam," I pleaded, "wouldn’t you rather

See for yourself?"

This conversation is all about racism. The landlady is a racist in a way that she judged the African. When the African told that he’s African, the landlady refused. She remained silent for awhile and suddenly asked him how dark or how light he is. At the end, the landlady did not allow the African to rent the apartment.

I advice to those who experience racism is to ignore the people makes fun of them but instead show them they are beautiful and talented. We should respect each one of us regardless of race, color, sex and status in life.

Source:
http://poefrika.blogspot.com/2007/09/telephone-conversation-by-wole-soyinka.html