YOU’RE NOT REALLY BLACK

MY WHITE FRIEND TOLD ME JUST LIKE THAT

I DID NOT GET ANGRY

I DID NOT GET UPSET

I JUST ASKED HIM COULD HE PLEASE CLARIFY THAT?

HE RESPONDED WITH WHAT HE BELIEVED TO BE HIS EDUCATED FACTS:

“LISTEN DAWG YOUR MAMA IS A SOCIAL WORKER AND YOUR PAPA IS A RETIRED BUSINESS MAN FROM GHANA

YOU’RE IN COLLEGE AND YOU DON’T SPEAK THAT GHETTO STREET SMACK LIKE AMERICAN BLACKS, SO I DON’T CONSIDER YOU BLACK. ”

WHAT WENT THROUGH MY HEAD WAS DAMN

MY FRIEND IS SADLY MISTAKEN AND ACTUALLY BELIEVES HIS COMMENTS ARE A COMPLIMENT

I REPLIED: “WELL DAWG MAYBE YOU GOT SOME BAD INFORMATION

BUT THE BLACK NEGROID RACE IS NOT A WHITE AMERICAN GHETTO CREATION”

IN FACT WE HAVE CREATED SOME OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST CIVILIZATIONS FROM THE ANCIENT ABYSSIANA AND NUBIAN (KUSH) DYNASTIES IN EAST AFRICA TO THE MORE MODERN ASANTE IN THE WEST

SO WHAT YOU THOUGHT WAS A COMPLIMENT, WAS A BLATANT FORM OF DISRESPECT

BUT I WILL NOT HOLD IT AGAINST YOU

AT LEAST NOT YET

YOU SEE

I KNOW YOU LIKE ME WERE RAISED WATCHING MTV AND B.E.T

BUT WHAT YOU HAVE TO REALIZE IS WHAT IS ON MOST GANGSTER RAP CDs IS JUST SOME FARFETCHED STUDIO HOOD FANTASY

BECAUSE IN ACTUALITY THAT “BLING-BLING” HENNESSY BOTTLE “POPPIN”, THUG-LIFE LIFESTYLE , IS ABOUT A THOUSAND MILES AWAY FROM REALITY

SO DON’T GET ME MISUNDERSTOOD

I GREW UP IN THE HOOD

BUT I LEFT DETROIT AS SOON AS I COULD TO GET MY PAPA AND MAMA IN DETROIT

OUT OF THE HOOD AND TO GET MY FAMILY IN GHANA LIVING LIKE THEY SHOULD

I AM GOING TO NEED TO MAKE SOME BLING-BLING AND BECAUSE I CAN’T DO A LOT OF THE BLACK GUY STEREOTYPES

LIKE PLAY BASKETBALL, RAP OR SING

I WILL HAVE TO MAKE MY GREEN BY EARNING MY UNIVERSITY BUSINESS DEGREE

BECAUSE I DON’T LIKE THE THUG-LIFE INSURANCE POLICY!

-LEON KWASI KUNTUO-ASARE
AMERICA :DIVIDED WE STAND? !
A COLLECTION OF POLITICAL AND SOCIAL POETRY
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