Moses is Left Behind
The most disrespected person is America is the Black woman
By Nephtalie Charles
Cast of Characters
MOREMI JOHNSON: 11 years old, middle school student; a dark skinned African American girl learning about significant African Americans during black history month. She has braids with colorful beads and a hoodie that states “Black Excellence” with denim jeans.
ELLIOT CHERY: 10 years old, middle school student; a fair skinned Haitian American boy that attends the same school as Moremi and admires the influential men celebrated during black history month.
HARRIET TUBMAN: 32 years old, African American abolitionist famous for helping African Americans get freedom by escaping the south through the Underground Railroad. Because she helped about 300 African Americans escape in 19 trips, she is known as the Moses of her people. At the beginning of this act, Tubman’s identity is hidden and she will simply be an old lady walking through the playground.
Setting: Auburn, New York at a small suburban playground close to the Fort Hill Cemetery. The Fort Hill cemetery is where Harriet Tubman’s body has lied since March 10, 1913. It is around noon and the weather is cloudy with a ray of sunshine. It is key to remember that it’s February, black history month.
MOREMI
(swinging back and forth at a steady pace)
My mom said I’m going to be on the twenty-dollar bill. Well, not me, but someone who looks like me. I heard that they called her Moses. Moses of her people. Isn’t that silly? Why would they call her Moses when she is a woman? But anyways … I’m so excited. I can’t wait to see her. Do you know who she is?
TUBMAN
(forms a small smile and starts rocking slowly on the swing)
Yes, I sure do. I have heard many stories about her. You know, I actually met her.
(MOREMI stops swinging abruptly and turns her head to look at Tubman)
MOREMI
What! Is she nice? When she walks, does the earth swallow her footsteps? My friend told me that’s how she never got caught. Does she smell nice? What is in her knapsack? I heard that she always carries it with her. How do her hands feel like? Because I hea-
TUBMAN
(stops swinging and stomps her feet on the ground two times)
Quiet Child! You haven’t heard about her story, have you? If you barely know anything about her, why do you want her on this bill?
MOREMI
(cocks her head to the side and points at the image on her hoodie)
Well … isn’t it obvious? Because of black excellence… Black girl magic … Black Joy.
TUBMAN
(sighs)
How does Harr- I mean Mrs. Moses relate to this black exce … these black things?
MOREMI
(palms her face with her hand)
Because she is going to be the first woman who is black on money! She is black and she excels so that makes it black excellence. That’s how my mom explains it.
TUBMAN
(chuckles)
Do you know there are already black women on money in other countries? Yes, my child there is. Back in the motherland, armies of black women created waves to protect their homes. Queens resemble us and their children resemble us, creating a bloodline of royalty. If we are originally royalty, what excellence do you have to prove? Who do you have to prove this excellence to?
MOREMI
(starts slowly rocking back and forth on the swing)
Ummmm, I don’t … I don’t really know. I just know there aren't a lot of us to see in this world. In my history class, there is a wall of presidents. Each time, I count from one to forty-six, I see no one that looks like me. On the wall that says “Black History Month,” there are many men, but only three women. Moses, Rosa Parks, and Ruby Bridges. When I told my mom that, she said I have to work hard. Work mornings. Work nights. Work during recess. In order to be like the presidents on that wall, I have to work. And then, once I am them, I’m excellent.
TUBMAN
(slowly shakes her head in disbelief and holds tightly onto the chains of the swing)
No… no no no no. What type of slave mentality are they feeding you, my child? I took my peop- Harri- Moses took our people from the chains of the south to the north in order to get a taste of freedom. Sure it wasn’t liberty, but it was freedom. Freedom to regain our crowns. To regain the treasures we lost in the Atlantic Ocean. To regain our humanity! Now our humanity accounts for how close we are to the white men’s status.
MOREMI
(standing up, she faces TUBMAN and shakes her index finger “no”)
Don’t say that! My teacher says we don’t see color here. Everyone is the same because we all bleed the same. And we aren’t trying to be like our friends, we are trying to be closer to our friends.
TUBMAN
(pushes MOREMI’s finger down and entwines both of their hands together)
Of course, we bleed the same. But do you know we bleed more than them? Our blood seeped into the soil so many times that our nutrients are used to grow fields of mother nature’s children. And those same children are used to hang us for the world to see our taunting. So I can see why you want to be close to your so-called friends. They do say, “Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer.”
(MOREMI snatches her hands from TUBMAN and puts her hands on her waist. She then throws her arms up in a dramatic way.)
MOREMI
No no no! You don’t understand. It’s like being in a melting pot. The more we add ourselves to the mix, the more we are united. Mommy says we just have to work harder to be in that mix. Moses on the twenty-dollar bill will make it easier for us. That bill will create a ladder so we can climb and melt in th-
TUBMAN
(pushes herself up from the swing and pounds her chest in an aggressive way)
So you want to be branded.
(shouting)
You want to brand me! I have watermarks of whips on my back. Now you want me to have a watermark of a lie linked to my face. Excellence. Your so-called excellence is similar to the guise of the folks near my slave cabin. This same guise is what guided them to their own eternal hell. Just like royalty is reborn through generations, I guess delusion is also a sidepiece.
MOREMI
(cross her arms in front of her chest)
We aren’t delusional. We are hard workers. We have dreams and goals, so we work our hardest to get them. And it is not like you’re Moses, so why are you so upset?
TUBMAN bends down and comes very close to MOREMI’s face
TUBMAN
Look in my eyes. Can’t you see the Red Sea that I maneuvered through many times?
(She stands up straight and looks down at MOREMI)
I’m not Moses. Don’t you dare compare me to someone who had the help of God beside him! Our God abandoned us! Moses only went through the Red Sea once. I trampled through that sea so many times that I created our own track to freedom.
(She points at herself and then at MOREMI)
We are hard workers. I know that. You know that. But do you know who believes that the most? The overseers I would be next to. The ones that see no color. The ones that are our abductors and emancipators at the same time.
MOREMI
(sucks her teeth)
Well, if you’re Mos- Tubman, you should understand why this is necessary. We want more! I know you’re really old, but still. It shouldn’t be that hard to understand. My mom said we are Americans. So we will create our own line of royalty in America.
TUBMAN
(chuckles)
We are Americans. The products of America. You can increase your value, but you will always remain a product. I forgot not all skinfolks are kinfolks.
MOREMI
(rolls her eyes)
My mom says not everyone can be excellent. There are losers and winners. I refuse to be a loser. I can’t be a loser.
Enter ELLIOT, stage left.
ELLIOT
(runs to the swing set, while waving his right arm in the air)
Hey, Moremi! What are you doing he-
MOREMI
(gasps)
Elliot, you scared me you jerk!
ELLIOT
(smirks)
Well, I’m so sorry you're such a scaredy-cat. I was just walking by the park and it look like you were arguing with someone. As the strong man I am, I came to rescue you. But it seems like … uh, there is no one here.
MOREMI
(both hands on her waist)
What do you mean there is no one here? Don’t you see that I’m talking to Mrs. Moses, or shall I say, the Harriet Tubman?
ELLIOT
(looks around the park and scratches his head)
Who? There is no one here, Moremi! Have you lost your damn mind?
MOREMI
(throw her arms in the air and viciously points at TUBMAN)
Moses is right here next to me. You know what, just leave. It’s obvious that you’re playing with me.
ELLIOT
(grabs both of MOREMI’s shoulders)
I don’t know if the cold weather is getting to your head, but there is no one in this park. No one, I tell you. It is only me, you, and these rusty swings.
MOREMI
(pushes ELLIOT away)
Moses, do you see him? You’re real, right? I’m not crazy. I know you’re real.
TUBMAN
(chuckles)
I’m real, my child. It seems like your little friend right here is incapable of seeing me.
MOREMI
But why can’t he see you? Elliot, are you sure you can’t see Moses? Matter of fact, do you even know who Harriet Tubman is?
ELLIOT
(rolls his eyes)
Excuse me, I know who that woman is. I’m not dumb. I’m completely sane. However, I don’t think you are because you are talking to the air right now.
MOREMI
(looks at TUBMAN and ELLIOT)
I’m not crazy. I think … that I simply have the gift to see her. Or maybe because I’m a woman and you're just a boy. I don’t know, but it seems like you don-
ELLIOT
(palms his face)
So, you’re telling me I can’t see this so called woman because I don’t have the gift to do so. What a load of bullshit!
MOREMI
(groans)
It’s true though! Think about it. You can only see me. However, me and Tubman can see each other and you. Wait, Tubman, can you see Elliot?
TUBMAN
Yes, I can even see him with my faint vision.
MOREMI
Great! As I was saying, it’s not us. It’s you, Elliot. You don’t have the power or gift to see what’s going on here. It’s simply black girl magic!
ELLIOT
(cackling)
I can’t believe this nonsense. Moremi, do you hear yourself right now? That woman is dead! You really think you’re special because you can speak to a woman who was just ... just a ride. An uncomfortable ride, I may add.
MOREMI
She isn’t just a ride! How dare you speak of a hero like-
ELLIOT
I’m not saying that lady didn’t do her thing, but she isn’t on the level of a hero. A hero is Martin Luther King. Malcolm X. Ummm, Jackie Robinson, Booker T-
MOREMI and TUBMAN
(stomp their feet)
Men!!!
ELLIOT
(raise hands and look around)
What was that? Who was that, Moremi?
TUBMAN
Now, he can hear me. A man will never let his ears listen to what his eyes don’t see as valuable.
ELLIOT
(gasps)
I can’t believe my eyes. Moremi, you were right. Are you a ghost or a spirit?
MOREMI
(smirks)
I told you! She’s real. And guess what? … She’s also a hero and will be on the twenty-dollar bill!
TUBMAN
(sighs)
No. No, I’m not.
ELLIOT
Well, again like I was saying before, there’s more deserving individuals that deserve that spot on the bill. And, please, don’t get all feminist on me now. I’m simply say-
MOREMI
Shut up, you imbecile. See, Harriet, this is why we need you on the bill! Even our own men don’t see our worth. You will help us regain our crown. Regain our royalty!
TUBMAN
My daughter, please don’t let your desperation blind you from your discernment. This piece of green cotton you’re after cost millions, no, billions of our people’s humanity. Not our lives, but our humanity. Either good or bad, a stillness comes after life is taken. But when humanity is taken, turmoil grows from its ashes. If I’m on that bill, people are going to see that it owns me. Because I never owned it. I escaped slavery, but I will never be free of slavery. And this entanglement is evident from the way generational trauma haunts the black community. I-
ELLIOT
Oh my God! If I wanted to listen to a sermon, I would have gone to church! Just say that you can’t handle a man’s job. See, y’all women are just too emotional. I-
TUBMAN disappears.
MOREMI
And y’all men are only passionate about what’s between your two legs! Harriet, you can … Harriet, where are you? Harriet! Harriet! Oh my God, look what you did Elliot! You made her leave!
ELLIOT
Me! I didn’t force her to leave! She got in her-
MOREMI
(screams)
Harriet, please come back! Tubman! I’m sorry. Elliot is just being a dick!
ELLIOT
(roll his eyes)
You know what, I’m leaving. I have better things to do than this. When you get over your hysteria, you can meet me at the corner store.
Exit ELLIOT, stage right.
MOREMI
(sighs)
Moses, I had more to tell you. I had so many questi- No, so many plans for you. For us. For our excellence.
Exit MOREMI, stage right.
TUBMAN
(reappears in the park and hums)
Moremi, I see where you’re coming from. I just can’t bear to see myself next to Uncle Sam when Uncle Tom met death for touching his stripes. Twenty is a lot, you know. Maybe I’d be convinced if it was on a twelve-dollar bill instead. That right there would be a great compromise.
Exit TUBMAN, stage left.
CURTAIN
Nephtalie Charles ‘26 is a nursing major pursuing a business healthcare management certificate. She has many interests and hobbies, but her top three are listening to music, watching movies, and decorating. One of her life goals is to travel to other states and countries because she enjoys exploring places.