Every hearing, every trial a black lawyer was public theatre. During cross examination, a white witness might forget his role in the trial and start asking questions of the attorney. A motley say, and connie motley, a black woman in 19 50, something, would reprimand the white mail witness saying, my job is to ask the question. Your job is to respond. And everybody would gasp. In the evening, cotter says he would hear people re enacting the trial in barber shops and beauty parlors.