Message to Attica
and others
Attica, Attica, why was there blood streaming from your walls?
The blood of Black prisoners. Black men. Men who committed
crimes no greater than others, but who for the sake of change
were murdered in the name of the enemy’s justice.
Attica, Attica, yours is not the first. OUr people are still being
murdered at the hands of our enemy. Sisters are being killed
while participating in causes for us. Brothers are being
murdered everywhere, because (as the enemy says), they are trying to
escape.
But Attica, yours is a strange story, to be told for many years
hence. There are so many versions of your truth that it
would seem difficult for people of other races to decide upon
the right one. But, being Black, we know what really happened.
We know that Black men were murdered by guards who came in
shooting to kill, not caring who got in their way. They are
even saying that the hostages, which you held, were shot in
cross fire. Yes, I’ll bet they were. You, who first cut their
throats, but then decided it better to shoot them. Now
which was it? One can never be sure, the enemies version
changes everyday.
Attica, Attica, what will our people learn from this? That it is
better to die for a cuase than live and suffer unmercifully.
But more Attica’s will occur before it’s all over. More of our
people will be killed at the hands of so-called justice.
Not our justice but theirs (the enemies). And what will we
do? Sit back and get angry, or will we get out and try to
stop it? If we don’t, no one else will. And please, my Black
brothers and sisters, do not solicit the help of our enemy in
righting our battles. We can fight our own battles. The
mere fact of an Attica should make us realize this!!!
Evema Gwynn
“How Can I Forget”
by
Willie Chancey
How can I forget the sweet days of yesterday,
My last sensation of adolescent joys
The inner confinement in my soul
The confinement of being a boy.
How can I forget the “good old times”, of tramping, exploring and
going
Ah, a broader feeling of growing up and experimenting for the sake
of knowing.
And how can I forget the worldly pleasures, so vibrant, free, and
vain;
Their time will naturally fade away,
’Cause they aren’t difficult to attain.
How can I forget the first date.
Something new, natural and worthwhile;
The mere infatuation of puppy love
Like that of a sweet bud^ng child.
How can I forget my youth of a short overlapping of time
The new feeling of being grown-up.
That seems to ring my chimes!!!
Black Beauty
Many of my sisters and
brothers think that wearing an
“afro” is just a fad, just like
white folks with the mini and
midi skirts. We are not white and
being Black is not a fad. It is a
way of life, a beautiful way of
life. Don’t suppress the Africa
that’s in you. We call it suicide.
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By Afua Entiou
I am told freedom lies soaring in the wind. I will hence
cast myself and flow with yonder breeze.
Yesterday is gone only to return again. I must count on
tomorrow, it is surely the niy hope for me and mine.
I don’t know the answers; therefore 1 reason not with useless
thoughts, but contemplate on the basis of my nature.
We will gather together all which we have done and put it
to the test. We do not pray on wins for we they are
only chance gains. We shall only think of our people
now and of our future together.
Evema Gwynn
A Woman
A woman is easily tempted and spurred
A man can overcome her by saying one word
He says the word, and the woman is led
To live her life on the things that he said.
Man is the same; he shall always be.
As for woman, her grace, the man shall always see
From high up in the heavens our gift was sent
With this gift, the man, we try to tempt.
But we havearned our body to tame
We have learned to put out that ever growing flame
The woman is important in every kind of way
She’s changing her way each and every day.
We show love and yet we live without a care
But still we are weak, these things we cannot bare
We are not quiet, we’re clearly understood
Some of us are devils, some of us are good.
It doesn’t matter if the man is rich or poor
But it would be nice if he were rich, that’s for sure
But a poor mans love is just as great
And a woman needs love for her own foolish sake.
We women are priceless, it’ll be known in the end
We are their listeners, their pardoning friends
In marriage we are the perfect wife
We’ll wear for pleasure a beautiful life
We’ll curb our tongue, we’ll never fuss or fight
We’ll suffer in silence, although we eure right.
I write to the man who knows I speak the truth
He knows that we are the living proof
Without women, men would have no friends
There’s much to be said, but too long to be penned.
Amen.
Colleen Henry
By Otis Curry
Long before I ever heard of
STokely Carmichael or H. Rap
Brown, I was aware that I was a
Black man. And long before
people started clinching their fist
and wearing dashikis and afro
hair styles, I had a sense of Black
pride. But only after my
separation from a
military-oriented society, where
I spent a large part of my life,
and my exposure to higher
education did I get a true feeling
of Blackness.
This new exposure to facts,
people, and the history of Black
people has brought about a new
feeling of Black consciousness. I
would like for others to get the
feeling I have by making a few
statements.
Many Blacks talk Black, act
Black, but are actually playing a
role. They are only going along
vrith what to them is the current
fad. They must be enlightened
that this current Black “Thing”
is here to stay.
Young black need to spread
the word to older Blacte by
showing them facts to discount
some of the myths and folk tales
that they still believe. In other
words the old dogs need to be
taught a new trick, not
forgetting that they are never
too old to learn.
Black awareness, Black
attitude. Black experience
should be such a powerful thing
within us, that it would motivate
our thinking as to “What can I
do to bring about progress?” If
each Black man and Black
Woman in their climb to social
status and success would
dedicate themselves to do one
thing for the Black race, it might
would be a start of something
good.
But before anything can be
done, first you must “check out
your mind.” Make sure that that
bag you’re wrapped in doesn’t
have holes in it. This culture that
we’ve been brought up in and
exposed to has its advantages.
We must learn to use these
advantages to bring about
changes withing our own
culture. We must not allow the
blind to lead the blind.
Therefore, we must not be
blinded ourselves. We must take
into consideration all points of
view and rationalize our own
solutions. Pity those who are not
educated enough to do this.
Those of us who are exposed to
this education of the mind must
educate others.
Finally I would like to quote
the late Malcolm X from one of
this speeches when he said, and I
quote “once you change your
philosophy, you change your
thought change your attitude, it
changes your behavior pattern
and then you go into some
action.