There is a lot of controversy about a white woman’s painting of Emmett Till now on display at the Whitney. MY NICKEL IN THAT QUARTER: The cruel, brutal, torture and lynching of a young black boy because of lies and racism in America needs to be told as often and as loudly as possible so it won’t happen again. You know the expression, “Never Again”. When is the Black community going to embrace that slogan. We need to stop marginalizing ourselves by saying only we can feel the pain and then thinking the inflictors will apologize. They need to understand pain. They need to show us they do. I get the arguments about privilege and access but someone needs to tell the story. We need to make sure everyone gets it right.
The Black Guy’s Poem
-Because we have pain too and want to talk about it-
We tack in and out of love
and we’re left
on beaches
by bitches
wearing our britches.
Trousers handed over
in the name of love
our strength stolen
while our pants were down.
We thought because our names
were in their mouths
their strength was ours
it wasn’t and would not be.
Though there are black holes
in the universe
we would claim
It is not a [Black] Man’s World.
We are the kilroy
caretakers in the pharaoh’s tomb
embalmed and linen wrapped
no jewels to be stolen
there is a reason to fetter angels.
They may fly to close to god
and steal.
Backseat Driving
I’ve sat in the backseat and watched the driver miss the correct exit. It wasn’t my place to say anything. So, I thought. That thinking changed after being hopelessly lost several times. There is a difference in “being along for the ride” and “the reasons for the ride”.
Consider American politics. We are all Backseat Drivers. Ok, some of us don’t drive and some of us don’t want to drive. They will do anything to keep some of us from behind the wheel. Driving is akin to having a seat at the table. Driving is supposed to be an unalienable right.
Presidents, politicians, national and local, are drivers. All the rest of us are on public transportation. Some of it more commodious than others. But are the drivers making the stops we want or somehow do they feel they control our destinations. Every day, we pay a fare with the expectation we’ll be transported.
Too often the bus stops to far from the curb and we step into puddles sock-wetting deep. So now we have a new driver. It appears we’ll be asked to move to the back of the bus. It doesn’t matter now if the last driver was more careful, considerate or courteous.
We are not along for the ride. WE ARE THE REASON FOR THE RIDE. Don’t confuse their agenda with our destinations. Pop Up demonstrations mean you missed your exit. You saw it coming. You didn’t say or do anything. You missed it.
Start driving. Ask to drive. Demand they follow your directions or give you the wheel. Your freedom, health care, environment, children’s education, ability to support and protect your family, your promised way of life is in jeopardy.
Fried Chicken & Philosophy 