Birthright (1938)

Ethel Moses: Cissie Deldine

Quotes 

• Cissie Deldine : A graduate of Harvard University, young, tall, and handsome... He's the perfect answer to every ambitious Colored girl's prayer.

• Cissie Deldine : In a way, Peter, we - eh - you and I don't belong here and we'll never get anywhere as long as we stay here. Why don't you go away Peter? Way up north where most of our educated people have gone. Up north where you can be free! You can't grow up and develop here. They simply won't let you and especially now when everyone doubts you. If you go north...

  Peter Siner : What about you Cissie?

  Cissie Deldine : Oh, I'm a woman. We haven't the chance to do as we want to.

• Cissie Deldine : So, that's, that's why I cannot marry you, Peter.

  Peter Siner : You mean - morals. I see. I was stupid!

  Cissie Deldine : Well, I'm glad it's over. I'm glad you know. You see, Peter, if you had been like Tump Pack or Winz or any of the other boys around here, it, it wouldn't make much difference. But, you went off and learned to feel and think like a white man. Why, you changed your code, Peter. I don't think that was fair for you to go away and change your code, then come back and judge us according to your new code. You see, Peter, we couldn't change ours. We have to stay here and we couldn't change ours.

• Cissie Deldine : They got no feelin' for a colored girl, Peter. No. Not a speck. When one of us even walks past on the street, they whistle and say all kinds of things out loud, just as if we weren't there at all! They, they, don't care. We're just, just colored women. Oh, they make you feel - naked!

• Cissie Deldine : There's no use Ida May!

  Ida May : What you mean there's no use? Honey, I'll have you fixed up in a jiffy and you'll be off to Chicago before you can say -

  [knock at the door]