Locke and Load A Play By Michael Oatman Characters John Locke [Famous writer and thinker] Thomas Load

[black radical activist] ACT ONE/SCENE ONE (A stranger dressed in old English garb, walks up to a Black Panther on the street. John Locke !ello" dea# si#. $ am a st#an%e# to yo&# land and yo& a#e the 'i#st Ame#ican that $ ha(e met. Thomas Load $)m not an Ame#ican. $)m an A'#ican*Ame#ican. John Locke An A'#ican Ame#ican yo& say" dea# si#+ Thomas Load That,s #i%ht" an A'#ican Ame#ican" st&ck in the -ias.o#a. John Locke Then si# do yo& conside# yo&#sel' mo#e A'#ican than Ame#ican+ Thomas Load $ am a dis.laced A'#ican in this land o' the /hite man. John Locke So yo& a#e not o' this .lace called Ame#ica+ Thomas Load As Malcolm 0 once said" yo& can .&t kittens in the o(en" it don,t make 1em 2isc&its. John Locke !a(e yo& e(e# 2een to A'#ica si#+ Thomas Load No.e. John Locke Ne(e#+ Not once" my #i%ht %ood %entleman.

Thomas Load Ne(e# ha(e . . . $ /ent to -et#oit once tho&%h. John Locke 4ell then si#" i' $ may 2e so 2old as to in5&i#e" '#om /hat do yo& d#a/ yo& claim to 2e A'#ican" not 2ein% 2o#n o' that da#k continent6 $n 'act" ne(e# ha(in% e(en (isited the #e%ion+ Thomas Load $ am a 2lack man. A'#ica is the land o' my .eo.le. No matte# /he#e a 2lack man 'inds himsel' lost in the dias.o#a /e a#e still A'#ican" that can not 2e st#i..ed '#om &s+ John Locke -ea# si#" '#om /hat cent#al .oint do yo& 2elie(e all li'e on the %lo2e s.#an%+ Thomas Load That,s easy" i' the /hite man had not %one o&t o' his /ay to hide the t#&th yo& /o&ld kno/. The h&man #ace 2e%an in A'#ica. The 'i#st man took his 'i#st ste.s in A'#ica. Not E&#o.e o# Asia" 2&t in A'#ica. John Locke A%ain dea# si#" /he#e /e#e yo& 2o#n+ Thomas Load $ /as 2o#n in Cle(eland" /hy+ John Locke Sim.le in5&i#y dea# si#" $ ass&#e yo&. By /hat de'inition do yo& o.e#ate &nde# /hen yo& &se the te#m A'#ican+ Thomas Load 4hat do yo& mean+ John Locke 4hat makes yo& A'#ican+ $ am En%lish 2eca&se $ /as 2o#n in 4#in%ton" En%land . $' yo& /e#e not 2o#n in A'#ica /hat makes yo& A'#ican" let alone a dis.laced A'#ican+ Thomas Load $ am a 2lack man" that makes me an A'#ican. John Locke $' $ sit in the s&n and take on a da#k tint" am $ then A'#ican. Thomas Load

$' yo& sit in the s&n" yo& /ill 8&st %et #ed in the 'ace. That may make yo& $ndian" 2&t it s&#e as hell don,t make yo& 2lack. John Locke -oes the te#m 1A'#ican, not denote a .lace o' 2i#th" not a #ace+ Thomas Load $ s&..ose" 2&t in the mode#n conte9t 1A'#ican, means to o#i%inally come '#om the Mothe#land" to ha(e a %enetic link. John Locke By /ho,s a&tho#ity has the elde# conte9t %i(en /ay to the mode#n one+ Thomas Load By the .eo.le,s a&tho#ity. John Locke $n yo&# (ie/" the .eo.le can s&2(e#t and alte# the lan%&a%e at /ill+ Thomas Load O' co&#se" the lan%&a%e is not do%ma" /e can chan%e it as /e choose. No one com.lains /hen some %&y '#om Little $taly calls himsel' $talian. E(en tho&%h he /as 2o#n in Ame#ica" can,t s.eak $talian .#o2a2ly can,t 'ind it on a ma. yet" he is still conside#ed $talian. !o/ a2o&t the %&ys /ho call themsel(es $#ish" e(en tho&%h they don,t come 'o#m $#eland+ These %#o&.s don,t stick 2y the old conte9t o' nationality. John Locke My %ood 'ello/" one 'allacy does not e9.&n%e anothe#. Thomas Load T#&e" 2&t i' one la2el is not (alid a#e any o' them+ John Locke A 5&estion 'o# se.a#ate de2ate" dea# si#. Thomas Load $ s&..ose. John Locke No/ that /e ha(e de'ined /hat yo& think an A'#ican is" let &s detail /hat an A'#ican is not. Am $ an A'#ican+ Thomas Load O' co&#se not.

John Locke $s a /hite .#iest in En%land an A'#ican+ Thomas Load -on,t 2e silly" o' co&#se not. John Locke $s a Chinese monk an A'#ican+ Thomas Load No. O' co&#se not. A#e yo& mockin% me+ John Locke !a(e /e a%#eed that all li'e o#i%inated in A'#ica+ Thomas Load A2sol&tely. John Locke !a(e /e also a%#eed that the #eason yo& claim the title o' 2ein% an A'#ican Ame#ican is 2eca&se yo& ha(e a %enetic link to A'#ica+ Thomas Load ;i%ht a%ain. John Locke -ea# si#" the#e is /ithin yo&# lo%ic a 'la/. Thomas Load 4hat 'la/+ John Locke $' all li'e and all #aces o#i%inate in A'#ica" and all that is needed to 2e A'#ican is to ha(e a %enetic link" a#en,t all men A'#ican+ Thomas Load <hhh" $ . . . 4ell . . . John Locke -ea# si#" all men" 2y yo&# de'inition" me" a /hite En%lish .#iest and a Chinese monk all ha(e" acco#din% yo&" a %enetic link to A'#ica" so /hy then a#e /e not A'#ican+ Acco#din% to yo& all li'e 2e%ins in A'#ica" so lo%ic dictates that all #aces on the .lanet come '#om the#e co##ect+ Thomas Load

4ell . . . yes . . . $ s&..ose so . . . John Locke So dea# si#" i' all o' &s ha(e a %enetic link" and /e a#e all A'#ican" then the la2el A'#ican is meanin%less. $t sim.ly means to 2e h&man" and cannot 2e &sed as a te#m o' di''e#entiation. Callin% yo&#sel' A'#ican Ame#ican is like callin% yo&#sel' a h&man Ame#ican. Thomas Load That,s t#&e . . . 2&t . . . $ . . . ha(e a close# link to A'#ica then does a Chinese monk" o# a /hite .#iest. John Locke 4hat" dea# si# does .#o9imity ha(e to do /ith .&#eness o' link+ Thomas Load E(e#ythin%. John Locke 4hat is yo&# last name" si#+ Thomas Load Jackson" /hy do yo& ask+ John Locke 4as Jackson the name o' yo&# 'athe#+ Thomas Load >es. John Locke 4as it the name o'? yo&# %#and'athe#+ Thomas Load >es. John Locke Jackson" it is a 'amily name" yes+ Thomas Load >es" it is. John Locke $t %oes 2ack 'o# %ene#ations" yes+ Thomas Load

>es" it does. John Locke Beca&se yo& came %ene#ations a'te# the o#i%inal Jacksons" a#e yo& any less a Jackson+ Thomas Load !&h+ John Locke >o& /e#e 2o#n Jackson" yo&# son /ill 2e Jackson" and his son /ill 2e Jackson. The name is a 2i#th#i%ht" it can,t 2e %i(en a/ay o# lost. No matte# ho/ 'a# the Jackson line %oes" yo&# child#en /ill al/ays 2e Jackson. Thomas Load 4hat does this ha(e to do /ith A'#ica+ John Locke To 2e A'#ican" %oin% 2y yo&# de'inition" is a 2i#th#i%ht that cannot 2e lost. $' yo& can 2e 2o#n in Ame#ica and 2e A'#ican" a monk can 2e 2o#n in China and ha(e as le%itimate a claim on the la2el. Thomas Load $ %&ess $ see yo&# .oint. A#om no/ on 8&st call me 2lack. John Locke And so $ shall" my #i%ht" %ood" Black %entleman. A$N.