Rosey looks at Theo with admiration. After the Halloween sermon ended on the church lawns, Theo called a meeting of his civics class and they sat in the large main room of the church, occupying the first two pews. Theo stands before them where the preacher usually stands, and his cousin Zeke is close by with his arms crossed and a mean look on his face.
Margery sits next to Rosey and even though she is happy to see Theo all grown up and professional, her arms are crossed just like Zeke’s and stares at him with skepticism.
“Thank you all for meeting with me,” Theo starts. “We are a week out from the election and we’ve educated ourselves well about the candidates and the issues on the ballot. We want to show our support for a leader of this country that sees us as real people. Eisenhower ain’t perfect, for all we know he hate negroes just like the rest of them in Washington, but we see that he can be pressured to at least voice support for our community. Stevenson ain’t served by helping us. And the only way we can have a influence is by showing that negroes will show up to the polls to cast a vote for those who speak up for us.”
Everyone in the room nods along like he gives a sermon.
“Times are changing, slowly, so very slowly, but surely,” Theo says. “We all know the city we live in. White people that we grew up beside think they more human than we are. They think they know better than we do and they can chose who make the rules. That changes next Thursday when we show up at the polls and demonstrate our knowledge.”
The regular attendees of Theo’s class clap. Margery wants to clap, Theo is a very inspiring speaker, but she is just waiting for the chance to ask him about the jellybean test.
When the sparse applause stop, Theo looks to Zeke who nods his head.
“I have to confess, though,” Theo says, looking out at all the inspired faces, “I haven’t been completely truthful with y’all.”
There are a few audible gasps and Rosey looks to Margery with a friend on her face.
“I taught y’all how to estimate jellybeans in a jar. It’s a math problem that I think all y’all can do in your head and on the spot. But I lied about them letting us cast a vote. They won’t count anything and any answer we give, they will say no.”
“But you said it was a commission,” a young man said. He had recently turned eighteen and was excited to vote in his first election.
“I needed y’all to believe that it was possible. It is possible if we show up with numbers. There ain’t a commission, but I studied with people who look at this kind of thing and in places where black people show up on real numbers, the white people give in and stop the nonsense…”
“You lied!” The young man yells and stands, jabbing a finger in the air like a weapon at Theo. “I could’ve changed my registration to Charlotte, they got polls that let black people vote, but now it’s too late.”
The young man stormed out and three young people with him, left the church as well. An old man stood slowly, shaking his head and left the church as well.
“I get what you talking about Theo,” a middle-aged could said when they stood, “but we got kids. We can’t risk no trouble from all this. Not just to be turned away.”
Rosey has tears in her eyes and when she stands to leave, she feels Margery hand on her arm.
“I’ll show up with you Theo,” Margery says and Rosey looks at her with shock.
Theo and Zeke look at her with shock on their faces. She and Rosey are the only two remaining.
“Girl, you didn’t even want me to do it,” Rosey says looking at Margery.
“I know,” she says, “but Theo is right. We have to show them what they doing to us. That’s the only way they’ll know the damage they doing. If we don’t show up, they’ll never get a conscious about denying us our voice.”
“Sister, you right, but you got to understand the risk in this,” Zeke says. “You got a family. Ain’t no shame is letting me and Theo fight this fight for you.”
Margery nods. She looks at Rosey.
“We can do this,” she says and soon the two women are nodding together.
On the day of the election, Zeke, Theo, Rosey and Margery arrive early to their polling location. They are met with suspicious stares, though no one stops their entry into the building.
None of them are able to caste a vote.
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