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BLACK HHTORY MtOHTH 1999
By Lillian Whitlow C ontributing W riter
from
M aya A ngelou W riters G uild
was born in
College in Mississippi, and
British West
received a 1970 Discovery Award
Indies. He came
from the National Endowment
to the United
for the Arts. He was Poet-in
States to study
Residence for Tacoma, Washing­
at Tuskegee
ton Public School and instructor
Institute and
JAMES WELDON JOHNSON (1871-1938)
was born just a few years after
slavery, but his literary works are
timeless. He is best known for his
poem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,’
which was set to music by his
brother, Rosamond Johnson, and
later adopted by the National
Association of Colored People
(NAACP) as the Negro National
Anthem.
Kansas State
of English at the University of
Utah, and presently, is instructor
University. He
of English at Portland State
was active in the
University in Portland, Oregon.
literary life of
He says, “As a man who writes
New York
poem, I am growing to see that
during the
paper and pencil can be helpful
1920’s. Harlem
to life if used recklessly.” One of
Shadows, a
his poem expresses an incident in
collection of his
Mississippi in 1970:
poetry, was
published in
“Lift Every voice and Sing’
BENIGN NEGLECT/
was born in New York City. He
was educated in the public schools
1922 and
established him
accomplished the unlikely feat of
mies of intergrationism versus
there and at New York University.
When he was twenty-two years
as an inlluential Black poet. One of his outstanding poem is:
old, he had his first book of poems,
black nationalism. It has served the past and will continue to serve the
IF WE MUST DIE
future generations. WE stand with pride when we sing, Lift Every
“Color”, published. It won the
Harmon Gold Award for literature
I f we must die, let it not be like hogs
Voice and Sing,' for this anthem does not dwell on the gloomy past nor
and brought him immediate
Hunted and penned in our inglorious spot.
the chastening rod, but those who sing it realize that at last we ve
recognition as a significant Black
While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs.
“come to the place for which our fathers sighed.” James Weldon
American poet. Most of his works
Making their mock at our accursed lot.
Johnson reminds us that the battle of victory isn’t won, but stay “in
were of a serious nature, but he
I f we must die, O let us nobly die,
the path we pray.” He concluded with:
Lest our feet stray from the places,
Our God, where we met Thee,
Lest our hearts, drunk with the
Wine o f the world, we forget Thee.
Shadowed beneath They hand.
May we forever stand.
True to our God,
True to our native land.
demonstrate a sense of humor in
So that our precious blood may not be shed
the following poem:
In vain, then even the monsters we defy
Shall be constrained to honor us though dead!
FOR .4 MOUTHY WOMAN
God and the devil still are
MELVIN BEAUNOVRUS TOLSON (1900-1966)
wrangling
was born in Moberly, Missouri. He attended Lincoln University and
Which should have her, which
Columbia University. He had a long teaching career, first at Wiley
College in Texas, and later at Langston University in Oklahoma and
repel;
finally at Tuskegee Institute. Although his works appeared in numerous
LANGSTON HUGHES (1902-1967)
God wants no discord in his
anthologies, he was a great poet almost totally unknown until the last
was born in Joplin, Missouri
years of his life, but some of his critics equated him with such greats as
and was educated in Kansas,
T.S. Eliot and Hart Crane.
Ohio and New York. Mr.
Hughes received many awards
Tolson wrote with a style that was
and honors through his literary
unique, such as ALPHA from his
works and speeches. He was a
collection of poems called Harlem
prolific writer for more than
Gallery:
heaven;
Satan has enough in hell.
Juke Box Love Song
I could take the Harlem
night
And wrap around you.
Take the neon lights and
make a crown.
Take the Lenox Avenue buses.
Taxis, subways,
And fo r your love song tone their rumble down.
Take H arlem ’s heartbeat,
Make a drumbeat,
MISSISSIPPI, 1970
Suppose you were dreaming about
your family,
And when you woke up
You found a man named Sonny
Stanley
Had just shot you (5 times),
Or justice
Looked just like the color your
blood was running-
Running wild in the world-
But the world wouldn’t see.
Then
You read, somewhere
(I think i t ’s the papers).
I f i t ’s a problem, boy,
We don"t have one here
We do n ’t ask a man to die
Like groceries babbling froth to
flies.
But bleeding,
You watch your neighbors
Write away to their windows
Hide! Hide!
“He's not there, He's not there."
The last sentence is your Father -
One o f the windows...
“He s not there, He 's not there. "
“SEI makes me
believe I can
be somebody. ”
forty years. One of his out­
standing poems i s :
has taught at Mary Holmes
Jamaica, the
their people from the 1800’s to the present.
transcending the age-old antino­
PRIMUS ST. JOHN (1939 )
COUNTEE CULLEN
(1903-1946)
CLAUDE McKAY (1890-1948)
Black poets, through the centuries, have expressed their
hopes, and fears of their times and their anticipations for
the future. During Black History Month 1 have selected a
few male poets to demonstrate some of the changes in liter­
ary styles, but maintaining the same theme; the condition ot
t
M ■ V
The Harlem Gallery, an Afric
pepper bird
Awakes me at a people’s dusk
and dawn.
The age altars its image, a
dog s hind leg,
And hazards the moment o f
truth in pawn.
W fiW A W ô W ftW fiW fiW W A W a W A ’W T f t W A W
I I I I I I I I » I I I I— » . I I I I I I I I 1 I 1 —
The Lord o f the House Flies
Jaundice-eyed, synapses
celebration of
purled,
Wries before the tumultuous
Put it on a record, let it whirl.
And while we listen to it play,
Dance with you till day -
Dance with you, my sweet brown Harlem girl.
canvas.
The Second o f May-
By Goya
Es
the scimitar o f Murat
Black History Month,
Self Enhancement, Inc.
would like to salute the
schools, families and
community organizations
who bring hope to youth
while enhancing the
3920 N. Kerby Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97227-1255
(503)249-1721
fax (503) 249-1955
quality of community life.
Portland Parks
& Recreation
W© jo in (The j.luvtlaub (Ohsrrurv in
Celebrating the rich History of the
Contributions of African Americans to
our society for us all to enjoy.
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— I 1 I J l "i I A I A I ¿"T
“SEI makes us feel
like we 're part o f
something good. ”
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