free time. But here’s something we can all look forward to.” She unrolled a poster and tacked it onto the bulletin board.
Melody recognized the face of Frederick Douglass from a book at her grandparents’ house, and she remembered his amazing life story: He was born a slave but taught himself to read and write when he was only a boy. He later escaped from slavery, and grew up to travel free all over the world to speak against it. Melody’s grandfather said Frederick Douglass’s story had always given him the courage to fight for civil rights.
“Our entire school will be celebrating Negro History Week next month,” Mrs. Butler said. “We’ll have a big assembly, and every class will participate. You can recite a poem, act out a skit, sing, or even present artwork. Which class will do the best job?”
“We will!” Melody chanted with the rest of the class. Melody remembered what Yvonne had said about being proud of what black Americans have contributed to history, and suddenly she had an idea. She pumped her hand into the air.
“Can I make a banner?” she asked when Mrs. Butler called on her.
Mrs. Butler gave her an approving nod. Other kids were eagerly raising their hands. Mrs. Butler began to write their ideas on the chalkboard.
Diane Harris stood up. “Could I sing?” she asked.
“That would be very nice, Diane,” Mrs. Butler said.
Diane sat down, leaning across the aisle to Melody. “Will you sing with me?” she whispered.
Melody was flattered. Diane was one of the best singers in their children’s choir at church, and she usually sang solos. “I—I guess so,” Melody answered sheepishly. Unlike Dwayne, Melody didn’t like the attention of standing alone in front of a crowd. She preferred to be one of many voices in a chorus. But singing with Diane at a school assembly would be fun.
“Can I help with your banner?” Sharon asked from her desk on Melody’s other side. “My dad can get us a long roll of paper.”
Melody nodded. Sharon was good at drawing. “I want to make a banner that includes the names of great people from black history,” Melody said.
“We can have important events on it, too,” Sharon suggested.
“Great idea,” Melody smiled. She couldn’t wait to write to Yvonne at college to tell her about the project.
After school, Melody and Sharon waited for Val to walk the few blocks from her junior high so that they could all walk home together. Lila usually walked with her, but she was staying at school for a meeting of the science club.
“Have you guys thought any more about what Pastor Daniels said on Watch Night?” Melody asked as the girls trudged through the snow. Five inches had fallen while they were in school, and most of the sidewalks were still covered.
“Yeah,” Sharon said. “I was thinking I could help out more around the house.”
Melody laughed and shook her head. “That doesn’t count! He talked about making things better in our community.” She turned to Val. “Isn’t that what he said?”
Val didn’t answer. She was looking at her feet. At first, Melody thought it was because of the snow. Val had told them that it almost never snowed in Birmingham. In fact, Val had never needed a winter coat or mittens or boots before she’d moved to Detroit.
Melody tilted her head to see her cousin’s face. Val’s silence wasn’t about the snow. “What’s wrong?” Melody asked.
“How can I make a difference in my community when I don’t even have one yet?” Val asked, her voice shaking. It sounded like she was trying not to cry.
“Come on, don’t say that,” Sharon said. “You’re a part of our community.”
“How can I be?” Val said as the girls stopped at Sharon’s corner. “We don’t even have a house of our own.”
Sharon gave Val’s arm a reassuring squeeze, said good-bye, and ran the rest of the way home, her boots stomping through the snow.
“Does she always run?” Val asked, watching in amazement.
“Yep,” Melody replied. “Ever since kindergarten.” But she was thinking about what Val had said. When Val had moved to Detroit eight months earlier, Melody had wanted to help her feel at home. Melody still wanted to help.
“You’ve got to keep your hopes up,” Melody told Val. “Think about the garden I’m going to help you plant at your new house. Think about your own room and painting it any color you want. Your daddy promised, remember?”
Val sighed. “I remember. I just didn’t think it would be this hard to find a house.”
“Big Momma says, ‘Things worth having…’”
“Don’t come easily,” Val finished. “I know.”
Melody scooped up a pile of snow in her mitten-covered hands and packed it into a snowball. “Sharon’s right,” she said. “You don’t have to have your own house to be part of the community. You still belong.”
Val was silent as they walked the rest of the way to Big Momma and Poppa’s house. Melody tossed the snowball from one hand to the other.
As they climbed the snowy steps to the front door, Val said, “I’m in the church choir with you already. I heard some kids talking about a drama club at my school. Maybe I could be part of that. I kind of like that stuff.”
“Like plays and musicals?” Melody was excited for her cousin. “Go for it!”
Val smiled. “I think I will. And I’ll keep hoping for my bubble-gum-pink bedroom, too.”
Melody laughed. “Good,” she said brightly, tossing her snowball into the front yard. “Now, don’t you hope Big Momma has some of those oatmeal raisin cookies left?”
The Block Club
Once a month, several families from the neighborhood got together. The kids played games while their parents talked about what was going on in Detroit and in their community.
“How many chairs do you need, Mom?” Dwayne asked, brushing dust off his pants.
“Four should be enough, with the dining room chairs,” their mother said, plumping up the sofa cushions.
Melody stopped stacking Daddy’s newspapers for a moment and looked at her brother,
