A Woman Called Minty by Jayla Nickens-Gill
The students were tasked to enter one of three doors, marked YESTERDAY, TODAY, or TOMORROW. YESTERDAY would allow them to experience any historical event, but not change the outcome. TODAY would place them in the middle of any current event. And TOMORROW would take them forward 12 years to celebrate what would then be Mr. Tom’s 80th Birthday. JAYLA feels the pain of slavery and meets a woman called Minty. A Woman Called Minty I open the door to Yesterday. I walk through and it feels like I’m falling until, suddenly, I slam into the ground. I look around and see nothing but African Americans being whipped, people crying out, others picking cotton. Suddenly, a huge force connects with my face. I cry out in pain only to be hit again. The brutal force inflicted on me left me extremely confused. After a while, the hits stopped, and the white man walked off. My body ached. The amount of pain was enough to make someone want to end their life. “Get up” a woman said. “Get to work before he brings more.” The woman walked off and went back to doing the tasks given to her. I managed to sum up enough energy to get close to her. I started picking cotton as well, my body still burning from the punishment before. “Where am I?” I asked “Dorchester County” the woman said “W-What’s your name?” I asked the woman “Minty” she said. “Stop talking before you get us both whipped or worse...