The Daily Black Blog

The Paul Laurence Dunbar Centennial Conference, sponsored by Stanford’s American Studies Program, explores new critical perspectives on the diversity of Dunbar’s literary production as a poet, novelist, lyricist, dramatist, and journalist. James Smethhurst, “Dunbar and African American Dualism;” Jennifer Terry, “”When Dey ‘Listed Colored Soldiers’: Dunbar’s Poetic Engagement with the Civil War and Violence;” Nicole Waligora-Davis, “Lynchings: Fictions of Law, Evidence, and Science in Dunbar’s Writings;” Kenneth Warren, “‘Some Men are Born Great, Some Achieve Greatness, and Others Lived During the Reconstruction Period’: Dunbar and the Character of History.” Stanford University www.stanford.edu Paul Laurence Dunbar Centennial Conference www.stanford.edu Stanford Channel on YouTube www.youtube.com

they say you need a relaxer

because your hair is tense 

or do they mean your spirit is?

Ever since they came into the picture

and told you to ditch your view of

beauty told you, you were ugly a nothing

a big lipped ape like monkey how could

anybody love something so nappy? how can you

be happy in skin black like tar, worn like a

scar from the masters whip, a daily burden 

thats why we burning our scalp, get rid of them naps

thats right make your life easy trade locs for a weave

hair dye for self esteem living a blonde dream an 

addict to the American dream not realizing your true beauty

if you looked to history,it would be seen that natural hair

was worn by kings and queens but everyone seems to think

that you are below them, dirty or stink if your not like

the majority, somehow unworthy because our hair is curly

but ignore them and absorb the way we are universal because our hair

twist like galaxies in the solar sytem’s orbit

I might be young,
But I’m an old soul
Cherishing the memory of those
Sent before me

Shackled in the chains of hate
Whipped with terrible words
Beaten by a system setup to neglect us

I might be young
But I see everyday
The result of crack cocaine
Eating away at a family once so strong
Now only thing left is a little boy or girl all alone.

Community structure gone under
Some wonder if it was by chance
Others state that
These impurities was introduced into our community to create an opportunity to destroy our unity

Simply we need, to diminish the image of a street chemist
Thinking that you can justify killing
By watching how your rims keep spinning

Your a menace to your own society
Blinded by the light of money and greed
A role model to what not to grow up and be

I must be an old soul
Because I don’t understand all these clones
Mimicking and believing the things they see on T.V
High school graduates who barely can read
Children walking the streets with nothing to eat

Its like a tragedy to life
A dimmed light once bright…
Now, its gone
Man, I can’t go on
Watching the destruction,
Feeling the Pain and Suffering

My old soul is dying, I’m trying to hold on

Dreams contained
in the mind frame of lames
raising kids to obey and admire unlawful things
choosing what money brings, while ignoring what brings money, tired of dressing bummy
focusing in on the ugly
side of life, living trife and untrusting
constantly dusting our community
with another white thing we simply don’t need
birthed by greed and powered by ignorance
Not using commonsense
Killing without consciousness
violence without reason
heathens eating of the mistreatment
of they own people
soul is see through
nothing’s beneath you
if this poem offends you then it’s
probably meant for you to listen to
you’re so instrumental in the new slavery plan
sign on your head reads “Soul for Sale, $100 a gram”
Poor, poor dope man with thousands in your hand
standing there with nothing in your head

Black Is…

Black is power
Pride
All beautiful things combined
To form a divine state of mind
Black is
Not only self-love but love for all
Black is so strong
I’ve been in love wit you 4 so long
Such a spirit so powerful that anyone near it
Can’t help but feel it
Heart thumping
Rhythm pumping though my veins
It’s plain to see that you got me
Wrapped in ya arms
Holding me
Embracing
See cuz to me
Black is something incredible
Our victory is inevitable
If we come together and let our unity show
Black is love
Black is power
Black is…..