Poetic Perspective: Juneteenth Will Never Be Forgotten

June 20, 2022 | By Hopeton O’Connor-Dennie |

Juneteenth is the official end to slavery in Texas. It was the 19th June 1865 that saw the end to slavery for 250, 000 African American slaves. Abraham Lincoln was then president of the USA. It was about 1863 that he signed the proclamation ending slavery. June 19 is the actual date which is a holiday in many states in the United States of America (USA). A truly momentous day. Racism was now another hurdle to overcome. We shall overcome! Let us examine this thorny issue.

Poetic Commentary

With the end of slavery in 1865 …
Blacks would expect to now thrive …
This concept was indeed misread …
It was now racism on which to contend …

We are still amazed at the timerity of the racist attacks …
By those who think it is okay to launch such an attack …
On an unsuspecting person because that person happens to be black …
See nothing wrong with such an attack ….
We will never forget the events of June 19 in the USA …
The viciousness of their racist agenda ….
It is a well documented atrocity …
On the coloured community ….

Black Wall Street will be etched in history …
Also in our collective memory …
These attacks failed to give due recognition to others prosperity …
Those goals will be achieved for posterity …

Among the racist acts …
They are the well documented facts …

They burnt coloured businesses to the ground …
A real cause for us to frown ….
Yet we still wear our ambitious crown …
And will never allow their racist antics to run us out of town …

Today we’re earning more and more respect …
As our intellectuals are making us proud
We continue to stand out in any crowd ….
We have a coloured VP in Harris …
An achievement which spells success …
Obama was a coloured president …
We are indeed an outstanding resident …

We will eventually push their knees off our neck …
And look them in the face & say “What the heck” …
You cannot stop us from success ….
Because despite the setbacks our gaze will not recess …

George Floyd paid the ultimate price …
He made quite a painful sacrifice …
Derek Chauvin et al are in the slammer …
Their record stained forever …

“Racism is an affront to decency …”
This has long been my policy ….
Marcus Mosiah Garvey fought for our recognition …
Yet he faced condemnation …
He was falsely charged for mail fraud …
They had to try to pull a dirty card ….

We want to exonerate Garvey’s name …
As they must never win at their underhand game …
The honour of Garvey’s name must be restored …
By agitation this feat is assured …

Martin Luther King jr. asserted that the colour of a human’s skin …
Should be no big thing …
It is only his productive contribution …
In the building of a great nation …

Malcolm X and others they did assassinate …
Yet their achievements continue to be top rate …
Even as they never fail to spread racism & hate …
We will never lose face …
Despite their abominable conduct which is a downright disgrace …

The dream of a people was set back a century …
This is quite a human tragedy …
Their only crime, the colour of their skin …
This is no basis on which to be proud of nor to grin …

Juneteenth must be celebrated …
To that we are elated …
It was freedom from slavery …
Alas! Not from racial savagery …

May we unite …
And never give up the fight …
They can always try to turn their backs …
But will never suppress … these well documented black facts …
Ahahaha …