“THE OLDEST BLACK STORE IN ATLANTA”
I saw THAT sign
permanently attached
to a Barber Shop
in downtown Atlanta
today.
My first response was;
how would I feel
if it had,
instead,
said:
“THE OLDEST WHITE STORE IN ATLANTA”.
I immediately felt nauseous,
like I could not/would not say THAT.
Looking back at the
sign on the street,
I immediately had thoughts
that THAT can’t be helping
the racial divide
here in the south.
Back in the 80’s,
I attended this march
up in Forsyth County
rallied by
Oprah Winfrey
and a diverse bunch
of conscious beings.
I felt completely guilty
as I was walking along the street
protesting with Oprah;
knowing that my Grandfather
was apparently a Leader
in the KKK
in North Florida
back in the 40’s & 50’s.
He was The Sheriff
of The County
by day,
and perhaps,
the OTHER side
of the law
by night.
I saw 4 generations
of Forsyth Men
standing in their
family’s front yard
of this fenced off house
screaming:
NIGGER LOVERS!
NIGGER LOVERS!
NIGGER LOVERS!
They were screaming down
at every one of us,
even if you weren’t there.
My stomach STILL hurts
witnessing that hatred.
The first time
I dated a black man,
My Mother told me:
“My Daddy would have killed you TWIIIIICE,
Grant;
Once for being with a man,
and Another time
for the man being black.”
ja ja ja jja
I don’t get it.
I just don’t get it.
I can’t EVEN look you directly
in the eye
and say convincingly
that I’m gay.
I’ve loved women,
and I’ve loved men.
I have disappointed many
of my gay friends
by not getting all verbal
about GAY RIGHTS.
To fight for Gay Rights,
for me,
is giving someone the power
over my body
by even suggesting
that I don’t have
THAT right
in the beginning;
whether I am
or not.
How damn dare they.
My friends,
Hollis and Lary,
were the first
to suggest
THE GAY concept
to me years ago.
I THOUGHT
I was straight?
I’ve got a kid!
Us/Them,
We/They,
Gay/Straight,
Black/White;
are terms
that insinuate
that two opposites
are opposed to each other.
I don’t get it.
Thank God
there was MLK,Jr.
and others
working for equal rights.
It just ain’t me.
Love ya,
mean it.
