Victoria Santa Cruz - "They Called Me Black" (Afro- Peruvian spoken word artist: YouTube video with English translated information, words, & comments)

Alicia Quevedo, Oct. 7, 2015

[This summary is translated from Spanish to English by Google translate; Additions and corrections welcome.]

The writer faces racism and faces it with pride and courage.

Victoria Eugenia Santa Cruz Gamarra (* La Victoria, Lima Province, October 27, 1922). She is a composer, choreographer and designer, exponent of Afro-Peruvian art. She is the daughter of Nicomedes Santa Cruz Aparicio and Victoria Gamarra.

She began in the world of tables with the group Cumanana (1958), together with her younger brother Nicomedes Santa Cruz, a famous decimista and poet. On a scholarship from the French government, she traveled to Paris to study at the University of the Theater of Nations (1961) and at the Higher School of Choreographic Studies. At the latter university, she stood out as the creator and designer of the costumes for the work El retablo de don Cristóbal, by Federico García Lorca, and in La rosa de papel, by Ramón del Valle Inclán. Back in Peru, she founded her company, Teatro y Danzas Negras del Perú, with which she performed in the best Peruvian theaters, as well as on television. This group represented Peru in the festivities on the occasion of the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games, in which she received a medal and diploma for her impeccable work.

Later, in 1969, she toured various cities in the United States and back to Peru in May of the same year, she was appointed director of the Folk Art Center, today the Folk School. In the first Latin American Television Festival and Seminar organized by the Universidad Católica de Chile in 1970, she won the award as the best folklorist, and the following year she was invited by the Colombian government to participate in the Cali Festival. She was appointed director of the National Folklore Ensemble of the National Institute of Culture, between 1973 and 1982, and in this capacity she made a successful tour of the United States, Canada, El Salvador, Guatemala, France, Belgium, Switzerland and the Principality of Monaco. .

Upon completion of her tenure, she served as Visiting Professor (1982), Assistant (1983-1989), and Life (1989-1999) at Carnegie Mellon University. She has led workshops in different countries such as Russia, Israel, Canada, Denmark, Spain, Italy and Argentina.

She passed away in Lima on August 30, 2014.

(Description copied from Isa Hernández)"

****
Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases the YouTube video of Afro- Peruvian spoken word artist Victoria Santa Cruz. In that video Vicoria Santa Cruz performed her composition "They Called Me Black" with the backing of several other Afro-Peruvians. 

English translated information about Victoria Santa Cruz is presented in this post along with the English translation of the words for that showcased composition. Selected comments from that YouTube video's discussion thread are also included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Victoria Santa Cruz for her cultural legacy. Thanks to all those who were also featured in this video and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Special thanks to Black Kos Editor Denise Oliver-Velez whose featured this spoken word composition by Victoria Santa Crusthis in the Feb. 9, 2021 edition of  Black Kos: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/2/9/2014455/-Black-Kos-Tuesday-s-Chile-Thinking-about-Blackness-and-Black-History-Month  

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THEY CALLED ME BLACK
(by Victoria Santa Cruz)

THEY YELLED AT ME: “BLACK!”

I was just seven years old,

Just seven years old…

What seven years old!

And not even make it five!

Suddenly, some voices on the street,

They yelled at me: “Black!”

Black! Black! Black!

Black! Black! Black!

Black!

Am I “Black”? – I told myself (Yes!)

What is to be a “Black”? (Black!)

And I didn’t know the sad truth

which might be behind (Black!)

And I felt black (Black!)

As they said (Black!)

I stepped back (Black!)

Just as they wanted (Black!)

And I hated my hair and my fleshy lips

And I saw with sadness my brunette skin

I stepped back (Black!)

I stepped back…

Black! Black! Black! Black!

Black! Black! Black! Black!

Black! Black! Black! Black!

Black! Black! Black! Black! Black!

And the time went by,

and I always so bitter

I continued to carry my heavy burden

On my back,

And how it weighed!

I smoothed my hair

And I make up my face,

But among my soul I heard

Always the same word:

Black! Black! Black! Black!

Black! Black! Black!

Until one day that I stepped back,

I stepped back and I was going to fall out-

Black! Black! Black! Black!

Black! Black! Black! Black!

Black! Black! Black! Black!

Black! Black! Black!

So what? so what?! (Black!)

Yes- (Black!)

I’m- (Black!)

Black!- (Black!)

I’m black! (Black!),

Yes- (Black!)

I’m- (Black!)

black!- (Black!)

I’m black!!

Henceforth, I don’t want

Smooth my hair (I don’t want!)

And I’ll laugh at those

To prevent – they said –

To prevent some conflict

They call to black people “people of color”

And what a color! (Black!!)

And how good it sounds! (Black!!)

What a rhythm it has!

Black! Black! Black! Black!

Black! Black! Black! Black!

Black! Black! Black! Black!

Black! Black! Black!

Finally!

I finally realized! (Finally!)

I don’t step back anymore (Finally!)

I walk safe (Finally!)

I walk and hope (Finally!)

And I bless the Heaven because God wanted that

My skin was jet black color,

And I understood (Finally!)

That I have total control:

Black! Black! Black! Black!

Black! Black! Black! Black!

Black! Black! Black! Black!

Black! Black!

I’M BLACK!!!!

online source: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/2/9/2014455/-Black-Kos-Tuesday-s-Chile-Thinking-about-Blackness-and-Black-History-Month 

Note: This spoken word composition is given as it was found in that article with the exception of the title which was given as "They Yelled At Me: Black" and with the exception of one iternation of the word "Black" which was misspelled as "Blackr".

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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS YOUTUBE VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZBHvMaTiuU&feature=emb_logo&ab_channel=AliciaQuevedo

Comments are given in relative chronological order based on their publishing date with the oldest dated comments given first. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.

1. JustLoseIt5, 2016

"I need to hear this every day, as an Afro-Latina it's NECESSARY!"

**
Reply 

2. Kiki Kareema, 2017
"I feel like every black person needs to hear it."

**
Reply
3. C. C, 2019
"Not just Afro-Latina. It's for all of us descendants of Africa."

**
4. MyWorldMusic, 2016
"Amazing. One of the most powerful performances I ever seen.

**
Reply 
5. Maria Quispe, 2017
"MyWorldMusic SURE IT IS, AND SHE IS PERUVIAN!"

**
Reply
6. Maria Quispe, 2020
"Yes, as a Peruvian I heard her while I was a little girl and learnt from her many good things."

**
7. Gonzalo Diaz, 2017
"Victoria Santa Cruz was one of the most respected artists of the Afro Peruvian Arts. She passed away on 2014 but her legacy and contribution to the Afro Peruvian Culture in music, dances, and lyrics are amazing."

**
8. Maria Quispe, 2017
"SHE IS OUR PERUVIAN VICTORIA SANTA CRUZ. OUR PRIDE!"

**
9. Annelise Potter, 2018
"Anyone know the date and location where this was originally recorded?"

**
Reply
10. Guapo, 2018
"Annelise Potter It was recorded in the 1970s by Victoria Santa Cruz an Afro Peruvian artist. The location is my country Peru.

**
11. damarcuswilson1, 2018
"So back then, Afro-caribbeans called themselves black but now they call themselves afro-latino and not black!! Why?"

**
Reply
12. Balam Sosa, 2019
"American influence. African-americans hate the word "negro", so that influenced black latinos. I think that´s stupid."

**
Reply
13. Romina Raquel Rojas Correa, 2020
"I can only talk about Peru because I was born and raise there. and NO ONE calls black people Afro Latino... I have never heard it. What you would call afro-latino, we call black - Negro or Negra. some people calls them Moreno or Morena wich means the same. Negro or Moreno is totally fine"

**
Reply
14. Pufflix 123, 2020
"@Bochom Ed Oncol We don't call people Afro-latinos, in my case, obviously I prefer using people's name, but when I don't know it, just "negro".

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Reply
15. The Stranger, 2020
"She’s not Afro Caribbean. She’s a black Peruvian. You know, from South America. And many call themselves black as well as Afro Latino (though that’s mostly used in the U.S.)"

**
16. Fernando Gonzalez, 2019
"The last sentence is not " im a black woman" but I am black."

**
Reply
17. Alicia Del Pilar Quevedo Canales, 2020
"Hello. Thank you for your comment. I'm not a trained translator but in Spanish words have gender. She says "Negra" which means she black but enunciated from her position of women. It is up to the discussion. Thanks."

**
Reply
18. Duane Joseph, 2020
"She would've said "Mujer negra soy", not just "Negra soy". Also if you notice all of them shout it and not all of them are women; men shout "Negro soy" and women "Negra soy". The intention is not an emphasis on gender, so the translation is "I am black", or "Black I am" "

**
19.latinheritagecards, 2019
"This is moving...first saw in the Brooklyn Museum.

Latin Heritage Cards - www.latinheritagecards.com

is about movement for all Latinx!"

**
20. Tishona Hall. 2019
"Woow just wow..the ending is so powerful..she kinda reminds me of nina Simone. I love how her latino roots and African roots are equally celebrated here. She didn't snuff out the side that is considered better by society..finally someone who truly embraces everything that makes them unique. I am not Latina and 4 some reason I understood her..i felt my ancestors  thru her..plus I read the subtitles😂but I could still feel her passion and truth"

**
21. The Stranger, 2020
"I’m very late in finding this video but it really needs more attention. Afro latinos are usually ignored. As an indigenous Peruvian, I’m proud of our black Peruvians for they have added so much into the cultural mosaic of Peruvian culture."

**
22. Puff Of Smoke, 2020
"Just saw this at Twitter and found out who she was. What a powerful performance. At the time of black revolution this resonates in every corners of the world right now."

** 
23. Leeshan Hynds. 2020
"Why didn’t I know about this before 👏🏽"

**
Reply
24. Maria Quispe, 2020
"We are trying to spread this amazing statement. It is known in many countrys is South America so we get it in Portuguese."

**
Reply
25. Tony Siordia
"A blaxican is what she is"

**
Reply
26. Leeshan Hynds, 2020
"Tony Siordia she is from Peru 🇵🇪 that makes her a peruana, but since she is a black woman she can also be called Afro-Latina."

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Visitor comments are welcome

Comments Posted About the January 6, 2021 Washington D.C. Capitol Building Attack (from the discussion threads for two YouTube sound files of Gil Scott-Heron's spoken word "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised")

Ace Records Ltd, Oc. 7, 2013

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Edited by Azizi Powell

[The title for this post was revised and its content was reformatted on January 12, 2021].

This pancocojams post provides a compilation of a small number of the comments from two of that spoken word's YouTube discussion threads that were published on or shortly after Trump supporters attacked the United States' Capitol Building on January 6, 2021. 

The Addendum to this post This pancocojams post presents the words to and information about Gil Scott Heron's now classic 1971 spoken word "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised".   

The content of this post is presented for cultural, political, and historical purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Gill Scott-Heron and all others who were involved in this spoken word and its recording. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post, and thanks for the publishers of this audio file on YouTube.
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/02/gil-scot-heron-revolution-will-not-be.html for a 2016 pancocojams post entitled "Gil Scott- Heron The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (Full Band Version) with information, words, & comments". That post includes some explanations about African American cultural references in that song. The sound file that was embedded in that post is no longer available as of this date.

"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" is also featured in this 2012 pancocojams post  http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/04/five-examples-of-spoken-word-poetry.html "Five Examples Of African American Spoken Word Poetry".

DISCLAIMER:
The positions expressed in this spoken word and in these comments are those of the spoken word artist and the individual commenters and aren't necessarily the positions that I hold. 

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WIKPEDIA QUOTE ABOUT THE WORD "REVOLUTION" AND PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolution
"In political science, a revolution (Latin: revolutio, "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due to perceived oppression (political, social, economic) or political incompetence"...

-snip-
These selected comments and other comments from these two discussion threads (as well as from other YouTube discussion threads) demonstrate that while people may agree about the definition of "revolution", there's likely to be strenuous disagreement about whether certain conditions and actions warrant a revolution and/or are a revolution. The revolution that Gil Scott Heron was talking about in his "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" spoken word isn't the same revolution that Trump supporters talked about prior to and after Jan. 6, 2021.  One person's patriot is another person's terrorist. 

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SELECTED COMMENTS ABOUT THE JANUARY 6 ,2021 WASHINGTON D.C. CAPITOL ATTACK (FROM TWO YOUTUBE DISCUSSION THREADS OF THE SPOKEN WORD "THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED]
All of these comments are from Jan. 6, 2021 through Jan. 9, 2021.* Comments are given in relative chronological order with the oldest comments given first, except for replies. 

Numbers have been added for referencing purposes only. I'm not including any explanatory notes with these comments.
-snip-
*YouTube indicates that the comments that were clearly written on Jan. 6, 2021 (as indicated in the comments) as being posted "4 days ago". However, "4 days" from the 1/11/2021 date would be the January 7, 2021. Consequently, I'm designating those comments as being posted on Jan. 6th and I'm adding 1 day to each of the other days that YouTube gaves.

Excerpt #1
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnJFhuOWgXg&ab_channel=lanklan

1. Mrs Wilberforce, January 6, 2021
"I've know for YEARS that Gil Scott-Heron was wrong about this, and today (Jan 6, 2021) is the absolute proof---although, to be absolutely clear, this is an attempted coup by the Trump Cult and 100% NOT a revolution"

**
2. Cali Wildflower, January, 6, 2021
"The revolution was live today! Not the one I wanted though. I remember this recording. Spoken word from 1971."

**
3. funniebunnie4u, January 6, 2021
"Sharing immediately.  Patriots took over Congress today, in response to, an insurrection, through a high-jacked voting system.  The Revolution will not be televised.  The Revolution will be LIVE!"

**
Reply
4. Benzona, January 8, 2021
" "patriots" they literally carried an enemy flag into the capitol in attempt to bypass one of the most important parts of our democracy"

**
5. charliemac64, January 6, 2021
"The insurrection certainly is being televised!"

**
6. wild berk, January 7, 2021
"Apparently the "revolution" was televised yesterday"

**
7. Trayci Campbell, January 7, 2021
"The Revolution was televised even though the media didn’t show everything on January 6, 2021!"

**
8. Sammy scotchguard, January 7, 2021
"I saw the beginning of the revolution yesterday on tv when trump supporters stormed the white house. Sad day in the usa...1/6/2021"

**
9. VeryOriginalNickname, January 8, 2021
"To some people saying that this song is wrong, since the capitol invasion was actually televised:

Yes, the events of 06/Jan/2021 were televised for sure. But they were, preciselly because it was no actual revolution. At all."

**
10. Sue Rainey, January 8, 2021
"He was wrong. Totally televised."

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Reply
11. Temüjin Khan, January 9, 2021
"Riots aren't a revolution.

DONT INSULT the people who actually engaged in REVOLUTIONARY actions during the 60's and before that in many countries across the world in their fight for freedom.

These tight pant wearing, gender neutral COWARDS are communist sympathizers"

**
12. VeryOriginalNickname, January 8, 2021
"To some people saying that this song is wrong, since the capitol invasion was actually televised:

Yes, the events of 06/Jan/2021 were televised for sure. But they were, preciselly because it was no actual revolution. At all."

**
13. Gabe Alvaro, January, 8, 2021
"The non-revolution on 1/6 /21was televised. The actual revolution will still not be televised."

**
14. Rosemarie Patrick, January 9, 2021
"FYI, the revolution was certainly televised... also tweeted, instagrammed, facebooked, parlered, and cell-phone-recorded.  It also appears to have failed."

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EXCERPT #2
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwSRqaZGsPw&ab_channel=AceRecordsLtd [This is the YouTube sound file that is embedded on this page.] 

1. Alfie John, January 6, 2021
"Turns out not only was the Revolution televised, it was on multiple channels from multiple angles, and simultaneously live streamed 🤣"

**
2. STAY BLACK AND GOLD FOR LIFE,  January 7, 2021
"Ha you think that’s a revolution? That’s hilarious"

**
Reply
3. Alfie John, January 7, 2021
"@STAY BLACK AND GOLD FOR LIFE lol, no... it was a fizzle at best. I'm just worried about the Jan 19th gathering talked about on Parler (talking about bringing weapons). More so given Giuliani's "trial by combat" comment"

**
Reply
4. HermesSonofZeus, January 8, 2021
"This has been going through my head since the events at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Seems like some folks need to listen to this song."

**
5. carlos costa, January 8, 2021
"You will not stand aside and watch, you will be a part of it. Oh, and don't take selfies wile your at it ;)

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ADDENDUM: WORDS: THE REVOLUTION WON'T BE TELEVISED 

(written by Gill Scott-Heron)

"You will not be able to stay home, brother
You will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out
You will not be able to lose yourself on skag and skip out for beer during commercials, because

The revolution will not be televised

The revolution will not be televised
The revolution will not be brought to you by Xerox in four parts without commercial interruptions
The revolution will not show you pictures of Nixon blowing a bugle
And leading a charge by John Mitchell, General Abrams, and Spiro Agnew
To eat hog maws confiscated from a Harlem sanctuary
The revolution will not be televised

The revolution will not be brought to you by the Schaefer Award Theatre
And will not star Natalie Woods and Steve McQueen or Bullwinkle and Julia
The revolution will not give your mouth sex appeal
The revolution will not get rid of the nubs
The revolution will not make you look five pounds thinner, because
The revolution will not be televised, brother

There will be no pictures of you and Willie Mae pushing that shopping cart down the block on the dead run
Or trying to slide that color television into a stolen ambulance
NBC will not be able predict the winner at 8:32 on report from 29 districts
The revolution will not be televised

There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down brothers on the instant replay
There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down brothers on the instant replay
There will be no pictures of Whitney Young being run out of Harlem on a rail with a brand new process
There will be no slow motion or still lifes of Roy Wilkins
Strolling through Watts in a red, black, and green liberation jumpsuit that he has been saving for just the proper occasion

Green Acres, Beverly Hillbillies, and Hooterville Junction will no longer be so damn relevant
And women will not care if Dick finally got down with
Jane on Search for Tomorrow
Because Black people will be in the street looking for a brighter day
The revolution will not be televised

There will be no highlights on the eleven o'clock news and no pictures of hairy armed women liberationists and Jackie Onassis blowing her nose
The theme song will not be written by Jim Webb or Francis Scott Keys
Nor sung by Glen Campbell, Tom Jones, Johnny Cash, Engelbert Humperdinck, or The Rare Earth
The revolution will not be televised

The revolution will not be right back after a message about a white tornado, white lightning, or white people
You will not have to worry about a dove in your bedroom, the tiger in your tank, or the giant in your toilet bowl
The revolution will not go better with Coke
The revolution will not fight germs that may cause bad breath
The revolution will put you in the driver's seat

The revolution will not be televised
Will not be televised
Will not be televised
Will not be televised
The revolution will be no re-run, brothers
The revolution will be live"

Source: https://genius.com/Gil-scott-heron-the-revolution-will-not-be-televised-lyrics

This page also includes this comment:  
About "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" by iam_donald 19, 2018
"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised is a rhythmic jam that served as an unapologetic wake-up call to anyone, especially African Americans, who thought they could gain their freedom by sitting on the sidelines. In a series of bold statements, Scott-Heron is essentially saying that freedom is not a spectator sport: you will not be able to sit at home and expect progress to come knocking, you will not see progress in the mainstream media, and you will not be able to rely on social or political leaders to give you your freedom. Instead, you will have to be strong, courageous, hopeful, and most importantly, educated, to finally earn your freedom from the racism running rampant amongst all of the institutions in the United States. It was as true in the 60s/70s as it is today: the revolution will not be televised."

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INFORMATION ABOUT THIS SPOKEN WORD
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Revolution_Will_Not_Be_Televised
" "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" is a poem and song by Gil Scott-Heron. Scott-Heron first recorded it for his 1970 album Small Talk at 125th and Lenox, on which he recited the lyrics, accompanied by congas and bongo drums. A re-recorded version, with a full band, was the B-side to Scott-Heron's first single, "Home Is Where the Hatred Is", from his album Pieces of a Man (1971). It was also included on his compilation album, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (1974). All these releases were issued on the Flying Dutchman Productions record label.

The song's title was originally a popular slogan among the 1960s Black Power movements in the United States.[1] Its lyrics either mention or allude to several television series, advertising slogans and icons of entertainment and news coverage that serve as examples of what "the revolution will not" be or do. The song is a response to the spoken-word piece "When the Revolution Comes" by The Last Poets, from their eponymous debut, which opens with the line "When the revolution comes some of us will probably catch it on TV".[2]

It was inducted to the National Recording Registry in 2005.[3]"...

-snip-
This Wikipedia page includes a section explaining the cultural references in this poem.

Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M5W_3T2Ye4&ab_channel=Zarndi for a sound file of   The Last Poet's now classic spoken word "When The Revolution Comes". Also, click https://genius.com/The-last-poets-when-the-revolution-comes-lyrics for the lyrics to that spoken word.

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Visitor comments are welcome.

Derek Walcott.- "A Far Cry From Africa" & "Love After Love" (poems)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post provides information about St. Lucian (Caribbean) poet, essayist, and playwright Derek Walcott.

Two of Derek Walcott's poems "A Far Cry From Africa" and "Love After Love" are showcased in this post.

The content of this post is presented for cultural and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owner.

Thanks to Derek Walcott for his life's legacy. Rest in Peace.

Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.

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INFORMATION ABOUT DEREK WALCOTT
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derek_Walcott
"Sir Derek Alton Walcott, KCSL OBE OCC (23 January 1930 – 17 March 2017) was a Saint Lucian poet and playwright. He received the 1992 Nobel Prize in Literature.[1] He was Professor of Poetry at the University of Essex from 2010 to 2013. His works include the Homeric epic poem Omeros (1990), which many critics view "as Walcott's major achievement."[2] In addition to winning the Nobel Prize, Walcott received many literary awards over the course of his career, including an Obie Award in 1971 for his play Dream on Monkey Mountain, a MacArthur Foundation "genius" award, a Royal Society of Literature Award, the Queen's Medal for Poetry, the inaugural OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature,[3] the 2011 T. S. Eliot Prize for his book of poetry White Egrets[4] and the Griffin Trust For Excellence In Poetry Lifetime Recognition Award in 2015."...

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From https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/derek-walcott
...."About his work, the poet Joseph Brodsky said, “For almost forty years his throbbing and relentless lines kept arriving in the English language like tidal waves, coagulating into an archipelago of poems without which the map of modern literature would effectively match wallpaper. He gives us more than himself or ‘a world’; he gives us a sense of infinity embodied in the language.”

Walcott’s honors include a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, the T. S. Eliot Prize, the Montale Prize, a Royal Society of Literature Award, and, in 1988, the Queen’s Medal for Poetry. In 1992, Walcott became the first Caribbean writer to receive the 1992 Nobel Prize in Literature, and in 2015, he received the Griffin Trust for Excellence in Poetry’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He was an honorary member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters."

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: A Far Cry from Africa



Mark Richardson, Published on Oct 6, 2013

Derek Walcott reading his amazing poem A Far Cry from Africa. I found his audio recording on an old PC I have.... I claim no copyright to anything. I made this out of respect to Mr. Walcott. How can any of us turn from Africa and live?

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A FAR CRY FROM AFRICA
(Derek Walcott, 1930 - 2017)

"A wind is ruffling the tawny pelt
Of Africa. Kikuyu, quick as flies,
Batten upon the bloodstreams of the veldt.
Corpses are scattered through a paradise.
Only the worm, colonel of carrion, cries:
“Waste no compassion on these separate dead!”
Statistics justify and scholars seize
The salients of colonial policy.
What is that to the white child hacked in bed?
To savages, expendable as Jews?

Threshed out by beaters, the long rushes break
In a white dust of ibises whose cries
Have wheeled since civilization’s dawn
From the parched river or beast-teeming plain.
The violence of beast on beast is read
As natural law, but upright man
Seeks his divinity by inflicting pain.
Delirious as these worried beasts, his wars
Dance to the tightened carcass of a drum,
While he calls courage still that native dread
Of the white peace contracted by the dead.

Again brutish necessity wipes its hands
Upon the napkin of a dirty cause, again
A waste of our compassion, as with Spain,
The gorilla wrestles with the superman.
I who am poisoned with the blood of both,
Where shall I turn, divided to the vein?

I who have cursed
The drunken officer of British rule, how choose
Between this Africa and the English tongue I love?
Betray them both, or give back what they give?
How can I face such slaughter and be cool?
How can I turn from Africa and live?"

“A Far Cry from Africa” from Selected Poems by Derek Walcott. Copyright © 2007 by Derek Walcott. Reprinted by permission of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, LLC.

Source: https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/far-cry-africa

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Derek Walcott e Davide Rondoni leggono Love after love (D. Walcott)



CameraOffstudio, Published on May 3, 2012

Lettura poetica "Love after love" in occasione dell'assegnazione del Premio Montale 2012 a Derek Walcott

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LOVE AFTER LOVE
(Derek Walcott)

"The time will come
when, with elation
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other's welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life."


Source: https://genius.com/Derek-walcott-love-after-love-annotated

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Spoken Word Performance - "Black Girl Blues" by MasterPiece Poet (video with partial lyrics)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases a video of the spoken word "Black Girl Blues" by MasterPiece Poet.

Partial lyrics of this spoken word poem are included in this post along with editorial notes about some of the references in that poem. This post also includes brief information about MasterPiece Poet, as well as selected comments from this video's discussion thread.

The content of this post is presented for cultural and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to MasterPiece Poet for her powerful spoken word "Black Girl Blues". Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to All Def Poetry, the publisher of this post on YouTube.

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INFORMATION ABOUT MASTERPIECE POET
From https://www.reverbnation.com/masterpiece83
"Artist Bio
MasterPiece the poetess was born in Dallas, Tx. She also lived in Arizona for seven years while studying Theatre Arts and Business Administration at the University of Arizona. She began performing and acting at the age of 6 and also discovered a love for poetry at 13. Her passion for poetry and performing arts has inspired many people. The debut album Mind of MasterPiece introduces a new genre of music coined by MasterPiece herself: rhythm and poetry. The cd chronicles her story through powerful words, emotions, rhyme, thought provoking lyrics and smooth rhythmic music that has a hint of hip hop, soul, and jazz all mixed into one. Fans recognize her as a dynamic writer with poise, talent, and beauty. She continues to maintain a balance between the arts and business by being an extraordinary poet/performer and business woman. Her hobbies include basketball, dancing, cooking, designing webpages, traveling, and watching movies. Her poet name MasterPiece stems from the idea that all artists strive to achieve and put forth their best work possible. It is a metaphor for a successful artist."...

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Masterpiece Poet - "Black Girl Blues" | All Def Poetry x Da Poetry Lounge



All Def Poetry Published on Aug 19, 2015

Subscribe for more poetry! http://bit.ly/alldefpoetry

....All Def Poetry is a new channel brought to you by Russell Simmons - a world-renowned champion of the spoken word art form. Fresh, riveting, and featuring some of the best voices in the genre, All Def Poetry brings you the raw power of spoken word! #AllDefPoetry

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SELECTED LYRICS FROM THIS SPOKEN WORD
[1:22- 1:39 of this video]

Black girl, free yourself.
And when you fly
Tell ’em Fannie Lou Hamer sent you.
Tell ‘em, you are your own queen.
Tell ‘em your brown suga maple syrup can't be bought off shelves.
Tell ’em dark don’t mean dirty,
Nappy don’t mean nasty.
Loud don’t mean ratchet.
Bold don’t mean problematic.


[2:07-2:39 of this video]

We have a purpose here.
You can’t take that away.
You can’t Emmett Till our sons no more.
You can’t 16 Street Baptist Church burn our bodies no more.
You can’t walk up in the church and shoot us in prayer no more.
You can’t kill us in the jail cell and call it suicide no more.
This ain’t open season.

Black girl, you are brick.
You are mortar.
You are designed.
You are ceiling.
More than just measurement.

Raise your head.
This Black girl ain’t got no Blues tonight.
You be you.
In your Blues you beautiful as you wanna be.
Dark eyes, thick thighs, we don’t need to apologize.
-snip-
These words flow together in rhythmic form. I added the spacing for reading clarity only.

I'm sorry for any mistakes in this partial transcription. Any corrections are welcome.

Here's information regarding some of the historical references in this excerpt of "MasterPiece Poet's "Black Girl Blues" spoken word:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fannie_Lou_Hamer
"Fannie Lou Hamer ... October 6, 1917 – March 14, 1977) was an American voting rights activist, civil rights leader, and philanthropist. She was instrumental in organizing Mississippi's Freedom Summer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and later became the vice-chair of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, which she represented at the 1964 Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey."...
-snip-
Regarding why she was a civil rights activist, Fannie Lou Hamer said “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired”.

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From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16th_Street_Baptist_Church
"The 16th Street Baptist Church is a Baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama, that is frequented predominantly by African Americans. In September 1963, it was the target of the racially motivated 16th Street Baptist Church bombing that killed four girls in the midst of the American Civil Rights Movement. The church is still in operation and is a central landmark in the Birmingham Civil Rights District. It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2006."...

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From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmett_Till
"Emmett Louis Till (July 25, 1941 – August 28, 1955) was an African-American teenager who was lynched in Mississippi at the age of 14 after reportedly flirting with a white woman...

Till's body was returned to Chicago. His mother, who had mostly raised him, insisted on a public funeral service with an open casket to show the world the brutality of the killing. "The open-coffin funeral held by Mamie Till Bradley exposed the world to more than her son Emmett Till's bloated, mutilated body. Her decision focused attention not only on American racism and the barbarism of lynching but also on the limitations and vulnerabilities of American democracy.

...Till's murder is noted as a pivotal catalyst to the next phase of the Civil Rights Movement."...

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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS SHOWCASE VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD
These comments are given in chronological order based on their publishing date-except for replies- with the oldest comment given first. However, these comments may not be in consecutive order. I've assigned numbers to these comments for referencing purposes only.

2015
1. Kendrick-Kamau “StreetPolitik” El-Negasi
"This is one of the dopest poems I've heard in a long. She had the wordplay and righteous aggression spelled out for you, undeniably witty but easy to digest with urgency like milk to a babe."
-snip-
"dopest" = African American Vernacular English term meaning "the very best"

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2. MasterPiece [2016]
"+Kendrick-Kamau “StreetPolitik” El-Negasi Thank you so much!!!"

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Reply
3. Kendrick-Kamau “StreetPolitik” El-Negasi1 month ago
"+MasterPiece no problem, thank you for creating & sharing."

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4. lobster0right
"said the woman wearing a weave"
-snip-
"weave" (hair weave) = real or fake hair that is woven or glued to person's real hair to add length and/or fullness. (also called "extensions")

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Reply
5. Jamesha Michelle
"Excuse you, but a hairstyle defines nothing."

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Reply
6. Kai Jolly
"What the [profanity deleted] does that have to do with anything?"

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Reply
7. inspirebabe_
"+lobster0right She can do what she want with her hair!"

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8. Monkey Teeth
"+Jamesha Michelle you can't have it both ways! You can't recite verses about the veneration of black women and the uniqueness of the black women while simotaneously wearing the hair texture of a white women...some serious self worth issues going on here"

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Reply
9. Nae2588
"+Monkey Teeth my niece is dark as night, but she was born with straight black hair, she's 8 now, and my friend her hair is still straight, never been touched by a perm, nor a flat iron or a pressing comb. her mom mainly did her hair, and her mom got thrown in prison on drug charges, so if it was nappy someone needed to do it, because white European hair as u claim, we all know can fix itself, just as soon as they get out of bed."

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Reply
10. wild heart
"+Monkey Teeth What do you mean? She is clearly a black woman who loves herself unapologetically. Plus Black women get judged for whatever they do with her hair. Black women should be able to do whatever they want with it without being criticized."

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Reply
11. Kai Jolly
"+wild heart I agree."

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Reply
12. Velvet Velours
"+Nae2588 that's your niece. 90% of black people do not have naturally straight hair"

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Reply
13. Kai Jolly [2016]
"+Zhang Yixing But some of them do lol.
-snip-
It appears that Zhang Yixing is another screen name for Velvet Velours.

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Reply
14. Dana Newman [2016]
"+lobster0right It's not about her hair..."

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Reply
15. Asia Speights [2016]
"....? Because white women don't wear weaves? [Profanity initials deleted] does her hair have to do with ANYTHING."

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16. Rebecca Shogunle
"strong. powerful. insightful and definitely true beyond doubt"

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17. Monkey Teeth
"Look how confident and proud she seems. Snatch that wig off her head and watch her confidence instantly disappear as she runs off stage embarrassed of her God given hair !"

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Reply
18. Azandria Hudson [2016]
"Her weave isn't a mask just simply a style. You don't have to wear your natural hair 24/7 to love yourself and be woke"

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19. Nae2588
"amazing. black power"

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Reply
20. G Den [2016]
"Stop it! this is not about "Black Power" or hating others. it's about uplifting our Black women, specifically those who are less mixed than others (Dark Skin). I will not allow YOU to make something so beautiful ugly.

-Black Activist/Community Member"

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21. mrschrisbrown416
"love this with the entire life of me."

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22. Emmanuel Mango
"What's her name?"

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Reply
23. MasterPiece
"+David Emmanuel MasterPiece.... Check out masterpiecepoet on IG"
-snip-
"IG" = "Instagram".

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24. Snoopy Thompson
"She Tells It Like It Tis"

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2016
25. Awo Abdi
" "our sons don't need sunscreen, they run from protection" you're lying if you say you didn't get chills."
-snip-
This comment refers to this portion of that spoken word [from 1:40-1:53] in this video:
"They say 'The blacker the berry the sweeter the juice'
But nowdays it's 'The blacker the baby, the longer the noose.'
Our sons don't need sunscreen.
They run from protection.
They get their vitamin D from laying 4 hours face down on the ground."
-snip-
"The blacker the berry the sweeter the juice" is a recurring saying in African American folk culture since at least 1922 (Thomas W. Talley's Negro Folk Songs: Wise & Otherwise (song/poem "You Love You Girl". Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/06/timeline-for-cultural-use-of-saying.html for a pancocojams post on that saying.

The line "they get their vitamin D from laying face down on the ground" is probably a referent to the August 9, 2014 shooting of 18 year old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri by Darren Wilson, 28, a White Ferguson police officer and Michael Brown's body laying unattended for hours after the shooting.

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26. Adrian Ware
"talk about the power. You can definitely here it in her voice. So moving. The queen just spoke"
-snip-
Since the late 1960s Black nationalist movement in the United States "queen" has been a complimentary referent for a Black woman.

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27. jack
"Great poem oh my lord! I have chills.

For anyone asking, the song is Behind Closed Doors by Muoi."

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28. Lemonslay
"You're beautiful with your skin like moonlight and your eyes like the moon."
-snip-
These words may be found in this spoken word, but I'm not sure where they are in this video.

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29. Sade Tucker
"I give this millions of snaps!!! Incredibly executed!"

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30. angela modifo
"amandla!!!"
-snip-
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amandla_(power)
"Amandla is a Zulu and Xhosa word meaning "power". The word was a popular rallying cry in the days of resistance against Apartheid, used by the African National Congress and its allies. The leader of a group would call out "Amandla!" and the crowd would respond with "Awethu"[1] or "Ngawethu!"[2] (to us), completing the South African version of the rallying cry Power to the People!.[3] The word is still associated with struggles against oppression."...

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31. Vikki Costello
"what !! amazing Queen! all I can say is powers to the most high & #Kudos cause that was God sent"

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32. mariemonstre
"Very powerful but also a little saddening. As a mixed child, I feel hurt that she talks about us mixed children are made out of some desire to purge undesirable traits. But I say my parents loved each other. As apparently unbelievable as it seems. And she stays she doesn't want to be attacked for her appearance, yet she attacks us. Think about that."

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Reply
33. mariemonstre
"Says* not stays"
-snip-
mariemonstre is referring to the portion of the line that is spoken at around 1:00 in this video "She got flavor- ain't that how those mulatto babies are made?"

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34. Nina H
"Does anybody know where I can find this typed out? I cant understabd her in some parts :("

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Reply
35. MasterPiece
"+Nina H Book will be released soon ;p"

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Ryan and Timon - "Man Vs God" (African American Spoken Word Poem & Mime Performance)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases the spoken word poem "Man Vs God". The official video of a mime performance of this poem is also showcased in this post.

The content of this post is presented for religious, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Ryan and Timon for composing and performing this spoken word. Thanks to the editor of www.courageouschristianfather.com/ for transcribing this poem and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO Man vs God | OFFICIAL MIME VIDEO



charles gray, Published on Mar 21, 2014

Big ShoutOut to Ryan and Tilmon for this awesome poem please check out there video and subscribe to there channel.

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TRANSCRIPT
From http://www.courageouschristianfather.com/man-vs-god-official-mime-video/#axzz3w8piN12H
"According to the video on YouTube this poem is by Ryan and Tilmon.

The video title says Man vs God in YouTube but the screenshot for this video shows God vs Man.

Below is the transcript of this video.


God: Where have you been son?

Man: God? God, is that you?

God: Where have you been son?

Man: I’ve taken a break from the Word and gotten into the World a little.

Backslid the saints would say.
I paint today a new day
just so the sorrow
won’t be remembered tomorrow.

I borrowed time from the World because I got that feeling.
And like Marvin Gay would say, I needed sexual healin‘.

But perpetually feeling like I knew better,
I couldn’t figure out what ‘better’ I knew.
And I figured You were probably pretty pissed,
so I didn’t bother to come to you…

God: You are still a little boy!

Man: Excuse me, God?

No offense against your royalty,
but show me a little loyalty
and keep it real.

You know good and well I’m not a boy.
I just might have taken a detour, or ran into a decoy,
but my core is still right though.

And plus, you look at a person’s heart.
And you know it was hard for me
to refuse that temptation in that given situation.

Why are you cutting into my manhood?
I thought I stand good with you as long as I come back and repent!
And plus the time I spent in the World doesn’t compare
to the times I spent thinking of you.

So give me a break!

God: Give you a break?!? I owe you nothing.

But you, who were bought at a price,
it is only right that you dedicate me your life.

See, I want to open up doors for you,
so that through you, others will see Me.

I understand that you may be confused
by some portraying themselves to be Me,
but they’re never the Savior of the world.

You see, the devil knows scriptures too.
It is not enough to every now and then
worship on a scripture or two.

Give you a break?
Don’t you know every breath you take
is considered a break because my Grace
is saving you from going to that place.

Now count the breaks you get in one day.
You do the math.
Every day I’m sparing you from my wrath.

But after you’ve taken baths in pools of sin,
again and again,
I consider you my son,
my love, my friend.


And you’d prefer to spend your time trying to blend in,
when I clearly made you to stand out.
When you get to my pearly gates, there won’t be any handouts.
So it’s time for you to become a man now.
Or stand down.

Because clearly you can’t see that you’ve been chosen.
Instead, choosing what you find in the world close to your heart.

You see, temptation is part of life
and my Grace is just a taste
of the love I have for you after every time you give in.

From night to morning,
I watched over you while you were snoring.
And even when it was storming,
I made sure there was no harm in you.
I’m warning you, not fussing.

And you know warning comes before destruction.
So while you are here lusting,
sinning, and grinning,
think I am the End and the Beginning.

And quit pretending like you woke yourself up this morning.
You know as the story is told:
“What good is the man that gained the world but lost his soul?”
Don’t lose control and then go ahead and show up.

It’s time to stop playing Christian and really grow up.
And throw off your old ways.
See, when you were a boy, you thought like a boy.
But now that you are a man, you must leave your childish ways behind you.
And don’t let the glare of sin blind you.
You can have fun when there is time to.

But for now, stop running from conviction
and let it find you.

Man: But God?

I don’t think you understand
how hard it is to have the upper hand
being the underdog.

God, being convicted by you is not what I’m afraid of.
I’m more concerned about the rate of
people who will come in and call me hypocrite.
I’ve seen it all before and quite frankly I’m sick of it.

Convicted with the addiction of making selfish
decisions has corrupted my vision and made me vulnerable.
And God, to be one of the only ones living rightly leaves me so uncomfortable.

People will look at me with such scrutiny.
It would be a lot easier if it were just You and me.

And if I begin to live Holy,
then the people that really know me
would just compare me to the old me.

They wouldn’t show me respect, God.
I’ll spread your Word if someone asked me about it.
That’s ok, right God?

God: Whining, lying, and complaining, that’s all you seem to do.
You find time to do everything you want, but nothing I ask of you.

But you expect me to have grace every time you come my way?
You seem to remember me every Sunday, but forget about me on days like today.

What if I was to dismiss you?
THEN who would spare your life?
What if I decided to take a break?
Then what would expect from your Creator?
What if I just decided to walk off and just decide to come back later?

You don’t realize all the things I invest in you
and all the talent I give you as a gift.
So let’s just reverse our roles
and I’ll let you take my second shift.

No, don’t ask any questions. I’m handing the power over to you.
Now your life is in your hands. Your destiny belongs to you.

Man: God, wait!!!

I apologize. Just listen.
I apologize for fitting in
when I know you made me different.
I just thought that maybe this time
maybe this time…

God: Time? Not even my own Son knows the second or hour.
I made you a king, though you were born a coward.

Son, I listened to your every word.
There is nothing you say that I don’t hear.
I opened up your eyes to see all things
and wipe the world away so you would see clear

My Son Jesus doesn’t even know and you want me to freeze time for you?

I’m calling on you for your calling
but it’s obvious you have other things to do.

You are afraid of what people would say,
but I’m the only one you should fear.
For the time works on my watch,
and Mother Earth will soon disappear.

You may not understand
and this may come as a surprise,
but I’ll explain it to you,
cause I’m sick of the lies.

I am the Divine Truth.
And nothing shall come before Me.

How can I explain to you how to be faithful?
For when I speak, you just ignore Me.

I give you every inch of power you have
to conquer all that you may fear.
But consider my Voice to be hours on the clock.
The end of times are near.

Man: Ok God.
I’ll change.
I will promise I will change.
But I might as well get used to people looking at me strange.

God: Who cares?

Man: And what about my imperfections? And everything of my past?

God: I have perfected your imperfections
and made beauty of your past.
I made you first,
when you thought you were last.

You see, my Love is unconditional.
It’s something you’ve never felt.
I’ve forgiven you of everything,
even when you couldn’t forgive yourself.

Man: And God, what if I fall?

God: You will.

Man: And then what?

God: I’ll pick you up.

Man: God, again, what if I fall?

God: I’ll pick you up.

Man: But God, what if I keep on falling?

God: I’ll keep…picking…you up.

Man: But God…

God: But NOTHING!
You will always fall short of my Grace.
That’s not to debate.
You shall face every day knowing you’ve been saved by Grace.

Let the melodies from Heaven rain down on you.
Take that Bible off the shelf.
Stop depending on everyone else.
Sometimes you have to encourage yourself.

It isn’t over until I say its over,
so wipe those tears from your face.
You have to continue to move swiftly
and make every move with faith.

I’ll continue to show you the right path
and you can continue to talk to me.

But your words mean nothing
unless you are ready to walk with me.

Man: God, I surrender.
God: Son, just walk."

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