Survivors

Our Lagacy...

Snatched from the Motherland, such a horrible crime.

Forced into slavery, yet no one served time.

 

beaten, killed, forbidden to learn,

raped, hung, tortured, and burned,

but buying and selling us was their main concern,

then the tables began to turn...

 

 

In 1865 slavery came to an end and our freedom we did win,

we thought the struggle was over and equality would begin

and thaat's when racism set in....

 

 

Oppressed deprived, depressed, denied

labeled inferior because of our black skin,

separated fron society, treated less than human...

 

 

This went on for years and years,

other's taking credit for our blood sweat and tears

and instead of succumbing to our fears,

we decided to shift gears...

 

 

The talented tenth, the N.A.A.C.P., the Niagra movement.

They began to educate our people on self improvement.

We gain confidence, self-esteem and the promise of a better tomorrow,

and hopes that this would bring an end to the black man's sorrow.

 

They instilled in us that,

yes we are of a different culture,

but still equal to the "Other" man'

Then from the ruins of hell rose the Kue Klux Klan...

 

 

Burning crosses in our yards, the laws ability to deregard,

snatched off our own land, dragged to the nearest tree,

and they want us to fight and die for this country?

when we are still fighting and dying just to be free!

 

 

Bewildered, but yet strong.

We found the strength to continue on.

Our prayers carried us through and kept us together.

Our faith assured us that things would get better.

 

Dr. Martin Luther King, started a movement the sparked a dormant nation.

Megar Evers, demanded equality and aa end to segregation.

Malcolm X, unleashed his anger through demonstration.

They were all killed because of their positive motivation.

 

Hearts filled with grief,

but we did not crumble,

we searched for relief...

 

 

So as you can see,

we claim total victory,

because we have endured

all of this pain and misery.

 

The struggle is not over,

but we are survivors

in our own right

and until the conflict

is over, we will

continue to

fight!

 

Author's Note

Thank You

Reviews

[Mountain Dawn]

Very good read.
"because we have endured..." say alot right there.
This critique coming from a Cherokee/Dakota Indian. I believe your thoughts are clear and I'm sure many people will empathize but coming from ancestors who are still fighting too, is it not time to show Love. Fighting has not worked but MLK did more good for both our races then all the others combined.

[Mountain Dawn]

History is about to be written again. I am anxious to see what you write.

[REALIZE]

When you speak of our past and tell of our pain we had to go through to gain equality in a world that sees us as outcast, It fills my chest with pride to know that I come from such a rich and yet strong culture of surivivors. Medgar Evers, El Hajj Malik Shabazz, Marcus Garvey, W.E.B Dubois, Martin these are our founding fathers. At the same time I can't help but feel that we still are sucumbing to inequality, racism, and even our own go against eachother. A bit of me feel as if we have let them down a bit. Our people that went through slavery, the kings and queens before us, our true black leaders that sacrificed their lives, we have not lived up to what we need to be. However, hope and faith arises in me when I read inspiring work like this. Thank you for this.

[KUFU]

Your poetics are admirable Graynell.
I feel this revolutionary work has been done. Blacks the world over are well aware of themselves and who/what they represent through the efforts of the brilliant civil rights activists/institutions you speak of. The poets of the Harlem renaissanse tackled theses issues and indeed won the victory. I respect your militant style, you know that, but to concentrate your wonderful poetics on a tired organization like the KKK is an affront to your ability. Don't let racist poets get under your skin and affect your psyche.

[Jeff "jazzman"..]

Very powerful piece!...This is excellence!

[DeLisa]

Oh. My. Goodness. I loved it! You are so talented!

[Elise O'Haire]

I loved this. It's like history...but not nearly as boring to read. You made everything perfectly clear...I could almost see it all before my own eyes. Great job!

[Badmac (Brenda )]

Oh I loved this
was like reading a good book
about History.
thanks for sharing these great words.