I am apart
from
this history
what
was Mandela?
Prison
black politician
selected
parts of his speeches
shape
my knowledge
sounds
a good elder
to
our struggles
against
the again and again
of
oppression
selecter
parts of his history
give
me knowledge
sounds
like power corrupted
a
lesson repeated
in
the again and again
of
oppression
questions
of history grow
as
we dance under Biko
how
did apartheid become
the
defining word for peoples experience?
How
did the debate get framed
and
then photographed
and
then framed again?
What
has not been framed?
Who
has not been framed?
Alejando
Uribe assasinated 2005
Aldelina
Gomez assassinated 30th September 2013
Cesar
Garcia assassinated 2nd November 2013
I
am a part
of
this history
Anglo
in the mountains of colombia
Gold
in the mountains of colombia
Ashanti
in the mountains of colombia
the
colonial pursuit of el dorado
leaves
more freedom fighters
fallen
again in its bloody wake.
What
was in Mandela's other speeches?
What
did he say
to
Anglo Gold Ashanti,
The
white south african mining elite?
What
did they say to him?
Nationalise
Privatise
Royalties
Ransom.
Compromise?
I
gather in community
at
this time of his death
to
prevent the centuries old
whitewash
of black working class history
our
elites white master so well
and
to dialogue together
to
find each other
to
seek solidarity with each other
in
this time of growing
fortress
europe
apartheid.
We
are a part.
I read this out in Millenium Square, Bristol on Sunday 15th December as part of a public community event, organised in response to Nelson Mandela's death. I wrote this after being inspired by an event at the Malcolm X Centre on the Friday night before. Thank you those who organised the space for us to come together.
No comments:
Post a Comment