43

AUNTIE MAMA pinches the skin on the back of her hand.

                      AUNTIE MAMA
                 (to DOROTHY)
        Do you see this?  It's the same as
        yours.  You—are—Colored.  And little 
        Colored girls do not grow up to play 
        the same roles Greta Garbo gets to 
        play in the movies.  Hear me when I
        tell you.  
 
                          RUBY
        Ain't that the truth.  
 
                      AUNTIE MAMA
        Child, you need to stop dreaming.
        Colored women are lucky—do you hear
        me?—lucky to play the parts of mammies 
        and maids in the movies.  And they'd
        better not even dare entertain the foolish 
        notion of having their faces plastered 
        on the cover of Photoplay magazine.
 
                          RUBY
        All they want to see Colored actors
        doing in pictures is steppin' and
        fetchin' with a huge, toothy grin.
 
                      AUNTIE MAMA
                (chuckles)
        …And bugging out their eyes like 
        whatshisname?  Mantan Moreland.

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