This is a memorable story from Grisham.
Most of the time, there is a racist attitude deep in our hearts, whether we admit it or not.
However, I want to highlight one of my daughters' Headmistresses. She is known as the colour blind principal in my neighbourhood. In most Government high schools, At least one or the other of the Head Girl or Head Boy has to be of the majority race. Not so in this school, one year they had three Heads, two male and one female - all three of a minority race.
The headmistress, of course, is of the majority race. That is a certainty, nowadays. She actually treated each of her charges equally, she does not look at the skin colour, nor does she look at the religion or background.
To illustrate what a great person she is, I have to tell you a real story. I went to eat in the Mamak (Indian Muslim) eatery opposite the school mentioned above. A smiling young man served me. It was a quiet lull, the boss started chatting with me, for he is friendly soul. I told him I went to the school opposite to see a teacher who was very good to my girl.
He told me that my server is a student of the school opposite. His father had abandoned his mum years ago. To make ends meet, each child found part-time jobs to help the mum. Because of circumstances, the family had to move out of state to claim a wooden house and a bit of land in the mum's home town. The young man is short of one year to graduation, he did not want to change school and talked to his Headmistress. At the same time his boss supported his decision and allowed him to stay above the shop in a store room. With some stipend the Headmistress and the Parents Teacher Association managed come up with, some kindness from the Headmistress, the eatery owner, his Form Teacher, and the custodian in his school, he managed to hold his own and was doing well in school academically.
This young man, is of a third race, a much smaller group compared to that of the Head Prefects.
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