The Color of the Pages

The Color of the Pages

 

that African American teacher

taught us of the Black writers

back when those authors were integrated

into our curriculum...

and we found out the gold that would have remained 

 

undiscovered

if unread

 

We had to take Black American Writers as a course

and when I read these authors

I pondered why they weren't just included

with the White writers

all merited the same values we put to any

classic author.

 

in the middle of the week, a White author

would lecture us

on these Black writers as if he knew

what it was like to be them

 

he had no clue really

and we had less of a clue

when we completed the course

 

but we did get introduced to some great novels and poetry

and understood a culture different from ours

just a little more succinctly

 

I just finished a book by a woman author

a Black poet

and I identified with many of the poems

even though I am stark raving White

 

and stark raving mad 

I wasn't educated sooner.

 

 

erin-cilberto

11/5/24

Reviews

[Vol]

Erin,
Boy, do I understand what you are saying! Why has race ever been a qualifier? Or gender? Had we just been human, Socrates could have had a talk show, the Indians still in charge of their continent, Jesus could have taught on the moon... We have what we deserve based on the darkness in our hearts. And we would be stark raving sane...

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Yes, just human. Thank you for your words, Vol,
j.

[Ted Kniffen]

Funny thing ... in all the boks I've read or studied and all the various musical styles I've enjoyedfor over three-quarters of a century now, I don't think there was ever a time that I considered skin colour as a defining quality of the words read and the tunes heard.
Good writing is good writing ... colour is irrelevant.

Good one j.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Yes. precisely....good writing is good writing...
thank you, Ted,
j.

[Desert Knave]

Yes, there are some amazing writers out there who are something other than white that most school kids never got a sniff of back in the day. Great write. ~Jim

[jacob erin-cilberto]

and kids need to be exposed to all writers...all of them.
thank you, Jim,
j.

[Patricia Wedel]

dear Jacob... suffering has a way of bringing forth the Beauty of the Heart.
I humbly look Pale in the Glow of burnished gold.. a blending of Souls. softly, Pat

[jacob erin-cilberto]

There is gold of every color and in every color of pen.
thank you, Pat,
j.