- Mark Thackeray: What we saw yesterday is that to a considerable extent, we control how we are perceived. "Yo!" gets you one response; "Excuse me, sir," another. When we address someone with respect, we are more often than likely to GET respect--not always, but more often than you think, and if you're smart, that ought to be enough. Common courtesy--"please", "thank you", "excuse me"... magical words, magical words.
- student: They got their minds made up about us, Mr. Thackeray.
- Mark Thackeray: Then change them.
- student: Yeah, right! Maybe that would work where you're from or where you went. You know, you run off to England and you teach in some school and you REALLY think you're something, don't you?
- Mark Thackeray: I AM something--everyone is.
- student: Well, in this country you're nothin'. It don't matter how many schools you teach in... you and me, we walk down the street and all people are gonna see is Black skin.
- Mark Thackeray: What do you want them to see?
- student: Me.
- Mark Thackeray: Who are you? Do you see YOU the way you want to be seen? Then you must see character in yourself, discipline in yourself, determination in yourself--to survive--with dignity, no matter how tough the world around you is. Is that who you are? If not, is that who you want to be? If so, come... Let's go walk down a street and see what we can GET them to see.
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