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Our story will fade with sorrowing time
if we continue to allow it to become a
a simple black asterisk footnote of his;
Some are trying to aid the fade
by telling as little of the truth
that they can get away with—
without spoiling their putrid story;
There are many of those who will try
to aid the fade by integrating our story
into spotted highlights of their history;
Then there are those who will try
to aid the fade of our story
by making clown fun of who and whose
we are: white faces wearing black masks;
And then there are those who simply try to
completely fade our story with omissions—
like shutting it down and keeping it down forever!
Only we can and sustain the reality of ourstory!
and its schooling begins at home with us—
the griots that must home school our own
in the ABC’s of ourstory: A, for Africa; B, for black;
C, for coming of age in the enlightenment of us;
Come, now is the time to teach ourstory—
sitting around the charcoal fires of truth: Seen!
black no fade nor crack; let’s get to telling it like it is;
least we fade into the nightshade of his story’s scene.
