We’ve been blinded By our own ignorance. We back our justifications With opaque statistics To undermine the struggle Of an average African American In White America because We would rather stay As an ultracrepidarian Than become enlightened, Ironic, is it not? But I’ll ask you a simple question, How do you deny the course of history? As you’ve probably guessed it, I will be giving you A valuable history lesson, A lesson still bedevilling The hearts and souls Of the black community today. But don’t get it twisted, This won’t be the usual prosaic lesson. This is a timeline Of how the black community Went from docile to erratic, Obedient to disobedient, Lawful to lawless, Manageable to dispensable. So, shall we begin? The perception of black people, In the inception of slavery, Was that of a meek nature. They had dreams of grandeur, An almost childlike curiosity About the vast plains Beyond their slave quarters And cotton fields. Not only were they enslaved By their masters, They were enslaved by their ignorance Of a world beyond their captivity. In the 19th century, White actors wore black make-up To portray black people In order to make Their films more “comedic”. The 1939 classic, ‘Gone With The Wind’ Depicts slaves untroubled By their lives, so much so, That they even fight off the freedmen. How lovely! Literature wasn’t granted Any amnesty either, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, A literary classic, Portrayed Uncle Tom