• 6 months ago
by Tynia Thomassie
illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist
Transcript
00:00Meme is Tutu. By Tanya Tomasi. Illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist. A special thanks
00:13to Dabba Mamadu, Pat Hall Smith, Abunight Lett, Kevin Burrell, and Sarah Wendy for our
00:20time together. And always, glories to my Dave Matthew and Will. TT. Thank you to Dania Monique
00:29Leggans. JSG. To every child whose spirit has been freed by dance and percussion. TT.
00:39To Louis and Joanne Koch for your work and dedication to children. JSG.
00:59When Meme was born, she followed a long line of boys.
01:29The family rejoiced at the arrival of their first little girl. Especially the grandmothers.
01:36All the grandfathers and uncles had been honored with namesakes. There was Jax for Mama's father
01:43and Emily after Mama's brother. Clarence and Forest were named for Daddy's father and brother.
01:50In fact, there were more boys than uncles and grandfathers to name them after. Now,
01:57all the grandmothers and aunts felt that the new baby should be named after them. But,
02:03there were two grandmothers and two aunts and only one very small little girl. That's
02:09how she came to be called Mbewele Sine Magalee Babala, or Meme for short. From the time Meme
02:16was a baby, she was always surrounded by music and dance. This was her family's tradition.
02:24Grandpa Jax beat out rhythms on the congas while Uncle Forest played the cowbell. Auntie
02:31Sabella played the claves and Grandma Lesine shook the brightly beaded shekaria. Grandma
02:37Mbewele knew the ceremonial dances of Guinea and Mama was a fine dancer too. Whenever the
02:43family gathered everyone from the tallest to the smallest grabbed on instrument or danced.
02:48Meme would bob to the beat or shake her rattle in time to the music. As Meme grew older,
02:55Mama decided to return to her African dance class. Meme loved to go along with Mama. The
03:03djembe drums would roll and the all the ladies would leap and sway in their multicolored skirts.
03:08The skirts are actually wraps of cloth called lupus Mama explained. Lapus. Meme repeated as
03:17she watched from the corner. When Meme had been especially good, Mama would take her hand and
03:24they would dance side by side across the floor. Meme would whisk her arms up and jump and shake.
03:30All the other ladies smiled in approval. Why, what a fine dancer you are Miss Meme.
03:37One woman said. You're recarrying on your family's tradition. Meme liked that. One day,
03:46a new dancer named Natasha came to class. She brought her daughter Sophie who looked
03:52about Meme's age. Sophie wore one bright yellow sock and one bright red sock. Her
03:59shoes had pink shoelaces. She had blue and yellow ribbons in her hair. And even though
04:06there was a special corner of the room where all the children sat, Sophie made it clear that she
04:11did not intend to sit. Sophie was going to dance with her mother during the entire class. But that
04:19wasn't all. Sophie reached into her beautifully embroidered bag and pulled out a pale green tutu
04:26just like ballerinas wear. She slipped it over her head and adjusted it at her waist. Everyone
04:33stared at Sophie. She was a blaze of color. Look at her in that tutu, laughed Meme's friend Jennifer.
04:42She thinks it's a ballet class. Meme glanced down at her plain shirt and shorts. She looks pretty
04:50to me said Meme. Meme studied Sophie's every move. She's only fair Meme muttered. Sophie leaped by.
04:59Meme mumbled, okay, she can dance. When Mama held out her hand for Meme to join her on the dance
05:08floor, Meme did not feel the usual skip in her heart. But the drums beat away her small thoughts.
05:15As her feet stomped in time to the music, Meme began to feel good again. On the drive back home,
05:23Meme sat quietly Mama eyed her. What's wrong? she asked. Nothing said Meme. She was silent for a
05:33moment. Did you see that girl Sophie's tutu? Em home. Sure was nice. Yes, it was Mama agreed.
05:43That evening, everyone noticed that Meme seemed unhappy. Meme watched her grandmother's and
05:50aunt's huddle with Mama. But she didn't care. She just thought about Sophie and her tutu.
05:58The next Saturday, before Mama and Meme were supposed to leave for dance class,
06:04Meme found Grandma Embewear and her aunts waiting for her in the kitchen.
06:09We understand you've been yearning for a tutu Grandma Embewear said.
06:14Maybe whispered Meme. She stared hard at the floor. Look up Meme said Grandma Embewear.
06:22In her hands, she held a beautiful lapar. It had a specially designed belt of beige cowrie shells
06:30and beads of black orange and dark green. When it shook it sounded just like Grandma
06:36Lessine's shekaria. And, it was exactly Meme's size. This is a skirt that suits you Embewear
06:44Lessine Magalie Isabella said Grandma Embewear. You'll celebrate your ancestry when you dance
06:50in it child. That day, Mama told Meme that she could take the whole dance class. Meme beamed.
06:58She tucked her lapar about her waist and patted cowrie shell belt. Sophie whispered,
07:05I love your skirt. Thank you glowed Meme. I love your skirt too. The two little girls
07:13shared a smile as the drums popped the air. Meme sparkled in her lapar and belt her very
07:19own kind of tutu. She danced as if her heart lived in her feet proud to carry on her family's tradition.
07:28The end.