The Common Burden

Should we “extend a hand of love” to white people to resolve racism?
That the burden for them to acquire their good will is on us to earn?
Is it really?
I know that I extend my hand in love every time I patronize their business
even as they actively suppress those of my own people.
I give them my wages, and I’ve given them my blood, for generations,
but the burden is on me?
Do you know what Love is? Love between the peoples I mean..

to quote James Baldwin from his 1965 debate at Cambridge University,

“from a very liberal point of view, the harbors and the ports,
the railroads of the country,
the economy, ..especially.. of the southern states,
could not conceivably be what it has become,
if they had not had, and do not still have,
and indeed and for so long, so many generations
cheap. labor.
I am stating very seriously and this is not an overstatement,
that I! picked the cotton,
and I! carried to market,
and I! built the railroads,
under someone else’s whip, for nothing.
for nothing!
The southern oligarchy which has until today so much power in Washington
and therefore some power in the world,
was created by my labor and my sweat,
and the violation of my women, and the murder of my children.
This, in the land of the free, and the home of the brave,
and no one can challenge that statement it is a matter of historical record.”

Now, after that expense that Baldwin insists we paid
and in newer ways still pay, the burden is still on us?
all the while they have never loved me, or us,
and never loved anyone else not like them,
know I do not hate them,
I love them, and I despise white supremacy,
we have loved them for over four centuries,
one expansive reign of oppression that has passed actively to this very hour,
they eat and drink from our love,
they love from our love,
they still have my hand because they’ve never returned anything to us,
and as justified as it would be, we don’t even want revenge!
we’ve denied from ourselves the justification for it,
and given that energy away,
out of Love.
We are angry with them, out of Love,
They’re blinded to that by their lack of humility, to us at least.
Can I be expected to perform this gesture to those I was born into loving,
and we were born into loving them,
when they have no real concept of what Love ‘between a people because we’re people’ is?
you’re asking for ‘visible’, overt display failing to realize the problem is if they could go on without seeing us, they would, and they do, actively,
they flee from us,
they don’t want to feel and understand us,
they want to childishly pacify themselves in comfort,
still neglect us as we labor in good will
until everything’s “post-racial” again, and that’s not our fault.
but congrats to the “burdeners” earning us old, false respect.

A question manifests and burns inside,
Why do we have to supply all their comfort and jump through their transient hoops of respectability they don’t even hold themselves to
for our humanity to be afforded to us, when we’re both humans?
The ball and chain hindering progress has never rested upon our ankles,
it is a weight they’ve willingly clasped to themselves,
we didn’t invent the nigger, eradicate a people,
and enslave another for generations,
there is a history they refuse to sincerely face head on.
They rather erase history from the school books than face their shame.
it has become easier for them to remain conservative,
and move freely only within the slack of their bondage,
than struggle to free themselves,
It overwhelms them and it will determine the future of the country,
To reconcile themselves, own it, all of the devices and effects of oppression,
and understand the harm they’ve imposed on us would begin real progress.
Notice them dealing with their history sincerely requires no labor from us.
But are they willing?
Notice they refuse since 1989 to progress HR40 through Congress.
They won’t even entertain assessing the harm done to us via their admittedly violent and predatory institution.
Don’t ask us to extend our hand any further,
our arms have long been outstretched in Love,
and left us largely defenseless as we, near foolishly, weather their abuse.
Ask them to face themselves squarely
in the mirror our hand has faithfully held to,
the mirror they despise and reject us for holding,
and bid they judge their reflection righteously.