Thursday, October 25, 2007

Smokey Robinson Did "Black" Justice...

I love being black
I love being called black
I love being an American
I love being a Black American
but as a black man in this country I think its a shame
that every few years we get a change of name
since those first ships arrived here from Africa
that came across the sea
there were already black men in country who were free

As for those who came over on those terrible boats
they were called Nigger and Slave
and told what to do and how to behave
and the Masta started trippin'
doin his late night tippin'
down through the slave shacks
where he forced great great great grandma and he to be together
and if great great great grandpa protested, he got tarred and feathered
and at the same time, the black men in the country that were free
were meetin' with the tribes like the Apache and Cherokee
and as a result of all that
we are a parade of every shade
and at this late day and age you can be sure
ain't to many of us in this country whose bloodline is pure

But according to a geological, geographical, geneology study published in Time Magazine
the Black African people were the first on the scene
so for what its worth the Black African people were the first on earth
and through migration our characteristics started to change and rearrange
to whatever climate we migrated to
and this how I became me and you became you
so if we gonna go back,lets go all the way back
and if Adam was black and Eve was black
that kinda makes it a natural factt
hat everybody in America is an African American
everybody in Europe is an African European
everybody in the Orient is an African Asian
and so on and so on

That is, if the origin of man is what we gonna go on
and if one drop of black blood act like they say,
then everybody's black anyway
so quit tryin to change my identityi'm already who i was meant to be
i'm a black american born and raised
and brother james brown wrote a wonderful phrase
"Say it loud, I'm black and I'm proud, Say it loud, I'm black and I'm proud"
cause I'm proud to be Black and I ain't NEVER lived in Africa

'Cause my great great granddaddy on my daddies side from there
don't mean I wanna go back
now I have nothing against there
its where some of the most beautiful places and people world in the world are found
but I been blessed to go alot of places in this world,and if you asked me where I choose to liveI pick America, hands down

Now bye and bye we were called Negroes
and after a while that name was banished
anyway negro is just how you say black in Spanish
then we were called Colored
everybody is one color or another
and I think its a shame we hold that against each other
and it seems we reverted back to a time when being called black was an insult
even if another black man said it a fight would result
we were so brain washed that black was wrong
that even the Yellow Niggas and the Black Niggas couldn't get along

But then came the 1960's
when we struggled and diedto be called equal and Black
when we walked with pride
with our heads held high and our shoulder pushed back
and Black was beautiful
but I guess that wasn't good enough
cause now here they come with some other stuff

Who comes up with this shit anyway?
was it one or just a group of niggas sittin around one day?
gettin a little insecure again about being called black
and decided that African American sounded a little more exotic
well I think you were bein a little more neurotic
its that same mentality that got Amos and Andy put off the air
cause they were embarrassed about the way the character spoke
and as a result of that action alot of wonderful black actors ended up broke
when we were just laughin and havin fun about ourselves
so I say FUCK YOU if you cant take a joke
you didn't see the Beverley Hillbillies been protested by White folks
and if you think that of course you think being called African American would put all Black peoples minds at ease
since we affectionately call each other Nigga
I affectionately say to you Nigga Please!

How come I didn't get a chance to vote on who I would like to be
who gave you the right to make that decision for me
I ain't under your rule or under your dominion
and I am entitled to my own opinion
now there are some African Americans here
but they recently moved here from places likeKenya, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Zaire
but not a brother who's family has lived here for generations
occupyin space in all the locations
New York, Miami, LA, Detroit, Chicago
even if he is wearin a Dashiki and sporting an Afro

And if in search of your race you'll find out quick
you're not an African American you're just a Black American in Africa takin' up space
why beat yourself up get a chance to go and you went
most people there wouldn't even claim you as one of them
as a purebred daughter or son of them
your heritage is right here now no matter how no matter what you call yourself or what you sayand alot of people died to make it that way
And if you think America is a leader on inequality and sufferin and grievin
how come there are so many people comin and so few leavin
rather than all this fine folk with America shit you promotin
if you wanna change somethin
use your privilege, get to the polls, commit to votin
God knows we have earned the right to be called American Americans
and rather than you movin forward progress
you dwellin in the past
we struggled to long and come to far

So to the folks who know who we were
lets be proud of who we are
we the only people who's name is always a trend
when is this shit gonna end?
look at all the different colors of our skin
black is not our color its our core
its what we been livin, and fightin and diein for
but if you choose to be called African American
and thats your preference
then I give you that reference
but I know on this issue I don't stand alone on my own
and if I can
let me be me
and I'd appreciate it
when you see me
there goes a man that says it loud

I'm black, I'm a Black American and I'm proud
cause I love bein' an American
and I love bein' Black
I love bein called Black
yeah I said it
and I don't take it back

This is a poem by Smokey Robinson, and I am so happy we found each other. Amongst the clutter of smut and stupid jokes my father routinely sends me, was this little gem. Its a six minute sound clip that Donnie Simpson played on his show, and it hit home so I felt the need to write it down for future reflection. I know there are parts of it that are controversial, but dont all great thoughts have some hint of controversy. Let me know your thoughts and how you feel on the issue.

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