Read Online Panther Baby by Jamal Joseph - Free Book Online

tried to explain that their intention wasn’t much different from what she and Pa Baltimore had espoused as part of Marcus Garvey’s movement when they were young. “Oh, it’s much different,” Noonie said. “Mr. Garvey did not preach about hate and guns. And you are not going back to the Panthers ever again. I’ll kill you myself before I let white folks kill you over this foolishness.” With that, the Panther literature was thrown in the garbage and I was sent to my room.
    Being the obedient grandson that I was, I went to the Panther office the next day anyway. My intention was to announce my forced retirement from the Black Panther Party and to let my Panther comrades know that I was still part of the movement in spirit and, whenever possible, in deed. “My grandmother is tripping,” I said to Afeni, Lumumba, and Yedwa in front of the Panther office. “She’s an Uncle Tom.”
    Afeni practically leaped in my chest. “Don’t you dare talk about your grandmother that way,” Afeni snapped. “She’s just trying to love you and protect you best way she knows how.”
    I apologized, realizing that there was a line about elders in the community that not even the Panthers would cross.
    “Yedwa, you’re his section leader,” Lumumba said. “Why don’t you talk to his grandmother?”
    “Yeah, that’s cool. Th at’ll work,” Yedwa said with a smile. “I’m gonna come by your house and rap to your grandma.”
    It took a lot of pleading and a few days of doing extra chores around the house to convince Noonie to let Yedwa come by. “You can bring whoever you want to bring,” Noonie finally said, “but I’ve already spoken to the Lord about this and my mind is made up.”
    Th at evening Yedwa showed up to our apartment wearing a leather jacket but without his usual array of Panther buttons. He even had on a shirt and tie. A shirt and tie? I thought. I didn’t even think we were allowed to wear a shirt and tie in the Panthers.
    Noonie sat in her favorite chair. Yedwa and I sat on the couch across from her. I was nervous, knees shaking like a man about to go on trial for his life. For the last four months I had walked, talked, and acted like a young badass revolutionary man. Now Noonie was about to sentence me to being a boy again. It was all up to my section leader, mentor, and hero Yedwa. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mother Baltimore. If I didn’t know better I would think you were Jamal’s—excuse me, Eddie’s—older sister.”
    “Yes, his much older sister,” Noonie said, smiling slightly.
    Yedwa got some points off the bat, not because of the attempted beauty compliment but because he referred to Noonie as Mother Baltimore, a term of respect that Noonie had earned in our church for being a senior congregant and the head of the missionary board.
    “Mother Baltimore,” Yedwa continued, “if you say Jamal—excuse me, I mean Eddie—can’t come back to the Black Panther office I have to respect that cuz you’re his grandmother and you’re my elder.”
    I winced at the fact that Yedwa was using my slave name Eddie, instead of Jamal. “But ma’am,” he continued, “I know that Eddie is giving you a hard time and if it’s all right with you I still would like to keep an eye on him.” Noonie looked intrigued. I was confused. Why was Yedwa giving up the fight so easily, and what was this stuff about keeping an eye on me? “Ma’am, if you set his curfew for nine o’clock and he is not in the house by eight forty-five I will take off this garrison belt buckle and I’ll whip his butt.”
    By then I was really unsure. What the hell was Yedwa talking about? He was supposed to tell Noonie that I’m a revolutionary and that I need to come and go as I please. “Ma’am, I know Eddie can be doing a lot better in school. If you want him to bring you an eighty on his next math test and he doesn’t bring you a ninety, I will take these size fifteen combat boots and I’ll give him a swift kick