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she looked across the room until her eyes located Nancy Lee.

“Nancy,” she said, “Miss O’Shay would like to see you in her office, please.”

Nancy Lee rose and went out while the names were being
called and the word present added its period to each name.
What you Think?ou Think?
Perhaps, Nancy Lee thought, the reporters from the papers What y

had already come. Maybe they wanted to take her picture What was were given
by Miss Dietrich to
before assembly, which wasn’t until ten o’clock. (Last year Nancy ?
they had the photograph of the winner of the award in the
morning papers as soon as the announcement had been made.)

Nancy Lee knocked at Miss O’Shay’s door.

“Come in.”

The vice-principal stood at her desk. There was no one else in the room. It was very quiet.

“Sit down, Nancy Lee,” she said. Miss O’Shay did not smile. There was a long pause. The
seconds went by slowly. “I do not know how to tell you what I have to say,” the elderly
woman began, her eyes on the papers on her desk. “I am indignant and ashamed for
myself and for this city.” Then she lifted her eyes and looked at Nancy Lee in the neat

blue dress sitting there before her. “You are not to receive the scholarship this morning.”

Outside in the hall the electric bells announcing the first period rang, loud and interminably
long. Miss O’Shay remained silent. To the brown girl there in the chair, the room grew
suddenly smaller, smaller, smaller, and there was no air. She could not speak.

Miss O’Shay said, “When the committee learned that you were colored, they changed
their plans.”

Still Nancy Lee said nothing, for there was no air to give breath to her lungs.

“Here is the letter from the committee, Nancy Lee.” Miss O’Shay picked it up and read
the final paragraph to her.

“‘It seems to us wiser to arbitrarily rotate the award among the various high schools of
the city from now on. And especially in this case since the student chosen happens to be

colored, a circumstance which unfortunately, had we known, might have prevented this
embarrassment. But there have never been any Negro students in the local art school,
and the presence of one there might create difficulties for all concerned. We have high
regard for the quality of Nancy Lee Johnson’s talent, but we do not feel it would be fair
to honor it with the Artist Club award.’” Miss O’Shay paused. She put the letter down.

“Nancy Lee, I am very sorry to have to give you this message.”

“But my speech,” Nancy Lee said, “was about …” The words stuck in her throat. “ …

about America …”

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