Samson Kamara

The Substitute Teacher Samson Kamara

Teaching is a dedicated job for people who are interested in molding young lives. But when one is both black and a substitute teacher with an accent, the job becomes very challenging.

Teaching is a white color and middle class job. Alpha being black with an accent had a real trip to hell and back because he had a daily shower of humiliations torturous and sometimes disrespectful and overt racist instances.

His determination was stretched to the limits of physical and mental endurance in the public school where racism, ethnic cleansing, hatred for people of color and accent exerted their weight like lead. The result was frustration, demotivation and the feeling of hopelessness.

This novel is a true story of classroom encounter, but the names, places and scenes are fictitoius. Alpha stayed at the end of the line with all his qualifications and experience while those who came after him, less qualified and experience moved on.

But the organization and maintenance of the system was like a sinking old flag ship.