Carl Weber's Kingpins by Raynesha Pittman

Author:Raynesha Pittman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Urban Books
Published: 2021-03-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

The Southern California Natural History Museum’s tour schedule had no vacant spots available for the next six months, and that’s how Paula, the director, had to have it. She wasn’t sure about hiring such a young girl for the curator position, but Tyger’s resume was impeccable. She’d graduated high school at the age of 16, earned bachelor’s degrees in anthropology and history before her twentieth birthday, and began volunteering at the museum. At the same time, Tyger pursued a Master of Liberal Arts in museum studies with ancient African artifacts as her specialized area of study ten minutes away at USC.

Not long after, Tyger wrote her dissertation for her PhD in anthropology. She was even cocky enough to base her thesis on a theory she created as the discussion topic for two of her four published books. There was no way Paula could pass her up. When the board of trustees, known as the “money people,” politely told her they weren’t comfortable giving a black girl that much power, Paula didn’t have a problem reminding them how much money they could bring in from making Tyger the face with those accolades. Once she painted the picture for the board, calls were made. Within days, the museum received a large donation from a black-operated, but not black-owned, television network. They also began running commercials to get donors and the African American community to support the museum. To top it off, Tyger hired a drop-dead gorgeous Asian and black woman to fill the docent position, which made the $18 an hour they paid her a steal with all the traffic Temper’s beauty brought in.

“The exhibit designers outdid themselves with the Escape to the Safari display. It’s created a huge buzz, and the board upped the in-house budget. So you know what that means?” Paula said with her eyes shooting from Temper to Tyger.

“Yeah, it means you can finally hire me a boss and give yourself and Tyger a break from doing it,” Temper responded.

“Or I can promote you to the museum educator position, on the grounds you remain the docent, and pay you more to be your own boss. I believe you can handle it. What do you think, Tyger? Can Temper handle it?”

“I know she can handle it. For a girl who graduated high school six years after starting, Temper knows her stuff.” She giggled. “It’s like she was born to work here. I’ve been on a lot of museum tours, but I’ve never enjoyed one as much as I enjoy Temper’s. You got it going on, girlfriend.”

“Whatever. Don’t forget, I also hold a GED, thank you very much. I had to perfect my exit from high school. That’s what took me so long to complete it. If you’re going to tell history, make sure you check the facts. But then again, I guess that’s why I’m the best docent in the western hemisphere and you’re not,” Temper teased.

“So do you want the position or not, Ms. High School Degree Holder?” asked Paula.

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