History doesn’t matter to the man who has to feed his family tomorrow. What matters are the actions he must take today.
This banner was flown by the NAACP’s NYC office from 1920-1938 every time a black person was lynched I’m America. Even once was too much. Most importantly, we most stop the continued “lynchings”.
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.
(in whispers)
Even Jesus give Old Joe a pass to the Pearlie Gates
Den, why dey string him up?
Dey needed a n***** satisfy somebody
But Old Joe?
He a n***** aint he?
Why somebody need to be satisfy?
Hear Boss wanted some buck breakin
Mistake an broke dat boy neck
Hear Missus got wind
She like dat boy for herself
I’d seen dat, Sho nuff
She neva like da way Old Joe smooth things
She say, “N***** Please” when he start up
Boss took to satisfy hisself and Missus by hangin’ Old Joe
Jesus, lawd of mercy
BACK TO WORK N*****
Fried Chicken & Philosophy 