Tina raising her voice more than she intended saying, ”But you are shutting me out!”

”You are shutting us out,” Tina said pointing at Bette and then herself.

”Babe I see U, Tina said pointing at Bette.

Bette: I know

Tina: No, what I mean is I see how when you hair is messy and not straight how they look at you in the stores. Watching you. I see how old white women grab at their purses like you gonna take it.

Bette: You know Tasha said that happens to her no matter how she looks but Tee how is it that almost an entire race of older women think this?

Tina: I don’t know besides they know there are spaces black faces are not welcomed or rarely seen like their country clubs, restaurants, and especially their neighborhoods. Old money and habits have done some terrible things to ensure the wealth gap.

Bette: Yeah like that separate but equal crap. Now how could a group of people who did not have the economic means be equal economically to the people who did.

Tina: Not possible

Bette: Not to mention what happened in Tulsa to endure black economic wealth wouldn’t flourish.

Tina: Yes, I wont deny it’s all the truth

Bette: I’m so glad Tee and I don’t want to feel like I’m running from my blackness either.

Tina looked down and then stared Bette straight in the eyes and said you know what else I see?

Bette: What?

 Tina: I see how Yolanda treated you in therapy. Like you were some black woman that didn’t know her peoples struggle. Also, I seen your disappointment in your dad for not accepting us. 

Bette tearful: Yeah but I have always try to check every box to fit in to make things happen for myself, until I could not check every box. And I will admit I have been thinking about what Yolanda said all those years ago, that I was denying my blackness.

Tina: That’s because she is the one that does not see you. 

Bette: You know, you are right, she is the one who focused on my skin color, not knowing a darn thing (Bette’s been working on her language since Angie)  about me. She assumed she knew me but Tee you know I had privileges because of my skin tone too, right?