Listen to this passage from an autobiography:

"It was on a Thursday, the day before payday in the black community. The teacher was asking each student how much his father would give to the Community Chest. On Friday night, each kid would get the money from his father, and on Monday, he would bring it to school. I decided I was going to buy me a Daddy right then. I had money in my pocket from shining shoes and selling papers, and whatever Helene Tucker pledged for her Daddy I was going to top it. And I'd hand the money right in. I wasn't going to wait until Monday.

I was shaking and scared to death. The teacher opened her book and started calling out the names alphabetically.

"Helene Tucker?""My Daddy said he'd give $2.50." "That's very nice, Helene. Very nice indeed."

That made me feel…