PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

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The statue of Chris Columbus downtown has been put in storage. One woman commented, "Where it belongs."  Chris conducted genocide and enslaved Caribbean peoples he called Indians because he thought he was in India. The indiginous people were forced to bring gold and food and failure to obey resulted in the removal of hands and limbs. I was never taught that in my history books.
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Consequently, a review is underway to assess monuments and street names and all the historical contributions of the men being honored. Practical solution, placing plaques on buildings and statues adding the slave context out of which or during which their wealth and achievements were made possible. Dishonorable mention is not the goal, Washington was 1st Prez and Mt Vernon's slave count rounds out a truth and ends the practice of invisible Black history.
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In Detroit, the fact that we had slavery here, is unknown to Detroiters. Black slavery was in the South. All the schoolbooks said so, failing to mention Northern slavery.  Much has to be researched and presented humanely and scholastically.  Mostly it has to be presented honestly and candidly, correcting long standing myths.
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Perhaps along with MLK Boulevard we will have George  Floyd Avenue. (Black Martyrs). A way to include Black contributions: 12th Street is Rosa Parks, Washington Blvd as George Floyd Blvd and Floyd Square. With 1 trillion headed for the states for infrastructure, renaming and losing racists honored in streets names can be financed and change begun this year. Namings and determination of who will be honored is up to the current generations. Knowledge of who promoted and benefited from slavery is about to upset a lot of people.
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In your face history lessons. Confederate statues are coming down. Enlightened colleges and universities could take the lead. Tough calls. GWU. Oh! The High Schools. 

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p.s Aunt Jenimah pancake mix, a stereotype routed in slavery,  has been announced as being changed. Uncle Ben can go too, but Black faces on food is rare. We always buy those. Symbols are powerful. 

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Lady A

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