#segregation
No one knows that
before Rosa Parks
refused to stand
and give up her seat
on the bus,
there was me.
No one knows that
I, Claudette, a girl
of 15 years,
refused to stand
first.
No one knows that
everyone else in my
row obliged
all for a single
white woman.
No one knows that
I was arrested,
charged with disturbing
the peace, violating
segregation laws,
and assaulting an officer
(I'd never do that).
No one knows that
I was not the spark
because they didn't like
my face, didn't like
how young I was,
didn't like how later,
I became a
teen mom.
No one questioned
Rosa Parks.
No one knows that I was first.
Apr 21
Apr 21, 2026 at 5:33 PM UTC
Poem- To the past & present
Hanging from the shame
Of my privileged supremisist height
Choking on the knowledge
That until now
I didn't fight
Eyes silenced hard
From systemic white view
All lives don't matter
Until your lives matter too
A product of white history
I wish I could reverse
Where all mankind are equal
For real not just in verse
Anger and great shame
come banging on my soul
Prejudiced leden centuries
and inhumane forms of control
I promise from today
Your fight becomes my fight too
I pray you'll accept from my heart
This apology to you..........
- I am sorry
I am sorry on behalf of my ancestors and the part of history that affects you.
I am sorry for any part I may have played through being only Non-racist instead of Anti-racist.
I am sorry that I didn't educate myself earlier.
I am sorry that it has taken yet another death, for me to stand up and fight.
I have always shot down racism with my words, but I have failed to completely understand it.
For these and more that I still have to learn, I am sorry.
Jun 6, 2020
Jun 6, 2020 at 1:04 PM UTC
Honey-flowing rivulets of jazz-beaten syncope,
Trumpets blowing smoke across the room,
‘Curveball’ Sammy hustles bass behind the bar,
Snares his songbird in a played back loop.
Harlem shufflers work the floor, breaking safe,
Clave rhythm scufflers with a New York twist,
Black keys write with borrowed brass on iv’ry walls,
Pick the lock on a swelt’ring southern riff.
Jun 12, 2019
Jun 12, 2019 at 10:39 PM UTC
Oh, you seed of mankind.
You who reside in the same Coloured white *****
You carry the sex-determining chromosome.
Before union with female egg, human colour was same.
After fertilization, emerged different coloured humans.
Oh melanin, you who determine our skin colour.
You went as far as differentiating our hair colour.
What have you done?
Are you to blame for racial discrimination?
Maybe blame theory of evolution.
Oh no I blame you mankind.
God gave men brains of a kind.
The kind, that knows wrong from right.
In the image of God, mankind was created.
Colour was not restricted.
I urge mankind across all racial groups.
A plead to all *** groups.
There’s more to what you see in the mirror.
It was microscopically a seed within white *****
We might differ racially, men and women.
We came from same coloured seed.
Sep 19, 2017
Sep 19, 2017 at 5:17 PM UTC
Castigate!
Fill with hate!
Expose their views
at any rate!
Interrogate!
Segregate!
Expose their lives
at any rate!
Disintegrate!
Celebrate!
Expose your own life
at any rate!
Mar 25, 2018
Mar 25, 2018 at 9:42 AM UTC
All these years have passed and still nothing has changed,
So we have to march,
Against the abomination of colour segregation,
I'm just tired of all the lies I want to know what's real,
If I stand by your side will you show me the deal?
I’ve got the moon and the stars beneath my feet,
Will that be enough to free my speech?
Tried to climb peaks that were placed deliberately out of our reach,
They envy my life but I envy theirs,
Heaven looks great until you have to climb the stairs,
I capture my emotions in a liquor potion,
It's all good swimming with your tears in the ocean,
And if I can sleep tonight,
I'll let them know I wasn't afraid of the light,
Can you feel the fluttering inside?
Just come lay with me on my side,
And let's both watch the butterflies fly out of our eyes.
Jan 6, 2018
Jan 6, 2018 at 12:57 PM UTC
Today we have the labeling of people groups.
Yesterday we had the suggestion of an inherent disposition to dishonesty and violence in some groups.
Tomorrow we will have the careful counting of individuals and the placing of individuals into each people group.
But today,
today we have the labeling of people groups.
For those of you who are new here, we recommend this period drama underlining racial differences with a subtle suggestion of inferior intellect in some groups indigenous to warmer climes.
And here we have a persuasive and tabloid friendly research paper that hints that children of mixed race tend to struggle in school. You'll be relieved to see that it hasn't any distracting data.
And on the shelf beneath you'll see there's a picture book version for younger children.
Over here is the arbitary divide between us and them, with a useful circle of arguments to differentiate ourselves from others.
Here we have colour coded lables to more easily distinguish between people groups. Yes, that's correct, we have three labels: white, black and, a recent addition which is now available for added distinction, rainbow.
Oh yes, when engaging in any discussions, for your own safety please ensure you wear these ear defenders.
To ensure a free flow of visitors we have erected large signs in three languages marking where charity at home ends. Yes, after rigorous focus group testing we have selected the English language in three font sizes.
We are coming to the end of this orientation tour. Please note the subtle but effective shedding of compassion for those who appear or sound different to us. This underpins the necessary disregard for the rights of others that we assume for ourselves and for those like us. It is almost imperceptible I think you'll agree.
But the priority for today, as I say, is the labeling of people groups.
No questions.
Shall we begin?
Oct 19, 2017
Oct 19, 2017 at 2:16 PM UTC
We are allowed to be unkind
To the sick, the deaf and the blind.
We gladly toss them into a ditch.
They don't matter; They are not rich.
We giggle and count what we’ve got
Laugh uproariously at those who have not.
We call our poor neighbors our inferiors
Because having money makes one superior.
It also works the same with every race.
Supremacy is about the color of your face.
It starts there and moves to include nationality.
Only Caucasian Americans match our reality.
Sure non-whites can pick our cotton for us
But, as for equality, the concept will bore us.
It says in the Bible you have to be from here
And white and Protestant, those words are clear.
And this stuff about **** and lesbians too
Not one word of that civil rights stuff is true.
My preacher told me gay people are abomination.
That’s why us Republicans support segregation.
That's some of what is wrong with our schools
Somebody has been listening to communist fools.
We need to get back to the good way things were
Before all this equality stuff was allowed to occur.
I tell you the truth, this stuff totally makes me burn.
I mean, these college-warped hippies need to learn
That this country is a Christian one, since beginning
So, we don’t want this equality stuff you’re selling.
Just shine our shoes and park our expensive cars
And we’ll tip you a little bit and there you are;
Right there in the place all of you ought to be;
Freedom is for us rich whites, it’s American history.
Jul 13, 2017
Jul 13, 2017 at 4:27 PM UTC
Many would take it
as the midway station to heaven
nineteen hundred miles up
can heaven be far away?
Some would even think
that sixty three million years
is eternal enough
especially for those hopeless potbellied souls
knowing that it’s impossible for them to pass through
the tiny eye of a needle
here, God is not
the Final Judge
Of course there are details to be worked out
for instance, should there be racial segregation
like that in the old South Africa
so as to preserve the purity of the ashes?
Or, as long as they can afford to pay
should even dogs and cats be allowed?
* Many years ago a Houston space service company had a plan to send human ashes into space. According to the plan, ten thousand human remains would orbit the earth at a distance of nineteen hundred miles for a minimum of sixty-three million years.
Jul 4, 2017
Jul 4, 2017 at 1:49 PM UTC
We marched because
They told us we couldn’t march.
We loved because
They told us we couldn’t love.
We married because
They told us we couldn’t marry.
We ran for office because
They told us we couldn’t run.
Freedom is for everyone
Not just for the few.
If any group is left out
The word is not true.
We applied for jobs
When they said we could not
We applied for loans
But they tore up the applications.
We manned picket lines
When they said they’d **** us.
We put in for promotions
When they told us we wouldn't win.
Freedom being for everyone
Should not be a dream.
We should not have to explain
Why things aren’t as they seem.
We heard the words
That said Land of the free,
We heard the carols
Peace on earth to all men.
We read the Constitution
That we all of us were equal.
We remembered our schoolwork
That, segregated, taught these words.
Freedom is for everyone
Not just for the few.
If any group is left out
The word is not true.
Apr 13, 2017
Apr 13, 2017 at 6:11 PM UTC
Do we remember John?
He was what we'd call a Simpleton,
Back when we were young.
He stood in his brown cloth coat,
Carried a notepad and a pen,
We suspected he had half a tongue,
Making notes on roadside lawns,
Near every manhole.
John was busy inside his head,
We never got a word he said.
Who was John before John was dead?
Did you know Stanley?
We didn't see him much.
He'd appear in the hood on holidays.
Probably went to New Hope School,
Where he was kept.
Stanley swore a lot,
He threw snot, drooled and spit at us.
We poked fun, and provoked,
Felt blameless,
For Stanley's condition was kept from us.
Segregated,
And not because of colour.
Nov 21, 2016
Nov 21, 2016 at 9:34 AM UTC
Heather lives outside the city a ways
Just like her mom and her mom before that
It’s the quiet life of long flat horizons
And everybody loves God just the same
Kaeja lives in the city
It’s not the nicest place to grow up
She’s older now than she knows
She’s poor but somebody gave her the blame
They both go to church
But are the reasons the same?
Is it about hope?
Is it about pain?
They both pray for the sun
They both pray for the rain
But though the pavement grows no flowers
There is no cross that is drawn in vain
Heather loved the smell when Daddy mowed
Kaeja painted the sidewalk green
They both love gospel music
They both love to sing
But filling a cup made of broken glass
Is like pretending paint is really grass
They had a thought about one another
White is night and black is day
That’s what they thought
Being apart turned their minds upside down
But one day they reached for the same carton of eggs
And their eyes met where Jesus scars bear no shame
Heather asked, "Do I know you?"
Kaeja said, "Yes, now you do"
She decided to give her the eggs
And Heather said, "No, they’re for you"
But they divided them up instead of buying two
And they said half of one is better than one you never knew
They both go to church
But are the reasons the same?
Is it about hope?
Is it about pain?
They both pray for the sun
They both pray for the rain
But though the pavement grows no flowers
There is no cross that is drawn in vain
Nov 16, 2016
Nov 16, 2016 at 10:10 PM UTC
LA California
Starting on the bus
Just shy of 2,600 miles to go
Florida or bust!
All alone and slightly scared
I got into my seat
There was excitement in the air
Anticipation sweet
At 19 and still a babe
I was sure grass green
No carry-on to worry about
$20 in my jeans
I was a waif of a girl
Pixie-like and fey
The men-folk all were looking
As I got on the bus that day
Naive, I didn't notice
But the black woman, she did
Though she had 5 babes with her
Next to me she slid
That lady sure had carry-on!
Ice Coolers and bags
Her kids were toting it all on
Dressed in their best rags
They had the jitters in their legs
As in their seats they jumped
She was smiling, jovial,
Substantial and plump.
"How you doin', Missy!
Where you going to?"
"Clearwater, Florida" I said to her
"Hey, ma'am, how 'bout you?"
"A town in Mississippi
You wouldn't know the name,
But it's where I've lived my life
It's home just the same.
"What's your name then, Missy?
Lands! You're goin' far!"
"Ma'am, my name is Cathy,
Yep. This trip's gonna be hard!"
She said her name was Elsie
Her smile was sweet and good
She reached into her cooler
And broke out some food!
And what food! Hot Fried Chicken!
Fresh made that same day!
Collard greens and hush puppies
That gal fed me the whole way!
Corn on the cob and ice cold pop
Sweet potato pie
Best food I've ever eaten
I tell you no lie!
We did a lot of talkin'
Durin' that long ride.
I found out she loved Jesus
When she talked of Him she cried.
I didn't understand it
It was something that I missed,
Headed for Scientology
Raised an atheist.
It left a great impression
Though didn't know it then.
I accepted Him much later
And I remembered when.
She told me His value,
She told me His cost.
She got off in a town
You could throw a rock across.
I helped her with her baggage
Scared to be alone...
There was a ******* standing there
Eyes hard and cold as stones
I was so offended
"What you lookin' at?
He rolled his chaw within his mouth
Disdainfully he spat.
"At choo, ****** lover...
You is quaaht a sight
Movin' that ol' niggah's bags
Even tho you white."
"God bless you for sneezing".
I said acidly
"This lady needed her some help.
This country is still free".
"Don' mind him", Elsie whispered
And she was plainly scared
Not for herself. But for myself!
And for the feelings that I aired.
"Get back on the bus now!"
She gave the man a look
By then some of her men-folk
Had come over to help.
I got back on that Greyhound,
Just as I was bid,
Didn't know I was in danger
But that black lady did.
The rest of that trip was painful
When I reached New Orleans
My ankles were so swollen
They almost tore my jeans.
But I arrived in Clearwater
Tired yet unscathed.
I'll never forget Elsie
Who helped me on the way.
**When I accepted Jesus
I will tell you frank
I remembered Elsie's witness
I have her to thank.**
SoulSurvivor
(C) 7/3/2016
Jul 3, 2016
Jul 3, 2016 at 12:42 PM UTC
There were no blacks
In our part of town
No Asians, no Latinos
None of them around.
There were Italians,
They were treated well.
But anyone of color
Might run into hell.
Pastel America
Everything sort of beige.
It’s good to be pink in America.
Caucasian is all the rage.
Whenever movies showed
A crowd of good folk
They were all Caucasian
And this is not a joke.
I was raised on TV shows
Like Lassie and ******
And there were no blacks
Living near the Cleavers.
There was no understanding
Of life for any non-whites.
When I grew up I saw
That little I learned was right.
Pastel America
Everything sort of beige.
It’s good to be pink in America.
Caucasian is all the rage.
Whenever movies showed
A crowd of good folk
They were all Caucasian
And this is not a joke.
There were radio stations then
Where black music could not play.
They had to get around that
Some other sneaky way.
That’s how we got Elvis,
To fill that gaping lack.
He got his first opportunity
Because he sounded black.
Pastel America
Everything sort of beige.
It’s good to be pink in America.
Caucasian is all the rage.
Maybe it will change someday
When we all celebrate
The diversity of humanity.
Wouldn’t that be great?
Jun 3, 2016
Jun 3, 2016 at 10:55 PM UTC
Girl. the word that separates
and complicates
making each of us, less equal
I’m a girl and rarely
have I ever been treated fairly.
We are all human and should be treated as one.
So why am I not allowed to kick the ball and run?
Just like a white crayon you think I useless.
But you’re just really clueless, because I CAN.
yet at the same time I can’t,
since the men are on top you see
high above any other
don’t take it as a bother
being below and under and where we will be.
Because I’m just a girl,I’m not treated fairly
The Overbolded Beauty © 2016
Jun 2, 2016
Jun 2, 2016 at 10:29 PM UTC
Where are those killing fields?
They are wherever we see
The Master Race ignoring
Peace, love and equality.
If you’re not white
And your state is red,
Don’t be surprised
If you end up dead.
As maybe some one
Will beat on your head
And demand to know
What goes on in your bed.
If you are any race
But Holy Caucasian
Like African or Inuit,
Mexican or Asian
That includes Islam
And all such nations
The bigots will hate
On every occasion.
Where are those killing fields?
They are wherever we see
The Master Race ignoring
Peace, love and equality.
In World War Two we
Fought against fascism
And now we entertain
An unholy American schism
In which Americans plan
With gleeful fanaticism
To make every effort
To maintain totalitarianism.
For over two centuries
We have sung of equality
And the inalienable rights
Of American humanity.
We continue to fight now
But it has become a calamity
Because now we are fighting
Within each of our families.
Where are those killing fields?
They are wherever we see
The Master Race ignoring
Peace, love and equality.
May 20, 2016
May 20, 2016 at 5:57 PM UTC