I got a call from a friend of mine to work as a caterwaiter on Long
Island. I'd never heard of the company he was with and I had
misgivings about any job that took me out of the city, but I needed
money, so I signed on. They gave me an address in Manhattan and told
me to show up at 3:30 p.m., ready to be driven out to the
location. When I arrived at the designated meeting place, my
bullshit meter was ticking like a Geiger counter at Chernobyl. The
staff of fourteen waiters was all male, which was not completely
unusual, and all black, which was. I had never seen so many black men
congregated for a catering function before; it was quite a shock. I
didn't know there were so many of us working these gigs. I asked my
friend what the deal was--why were only "The Brothers" working this
gig--but he had no idea.
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