Teacher and poet Don Luther Lee, later known as Haki R. Madhubuti, performs poetry reading and speaks on the importance of language to some African American poets. [location unknown]
This recording was made available through a grant from the National Historical Publications & Records Commission.
HAKI R. MADHUBUTI: When one uses a particular language, he not only speaks and communicates with it, but also feels, experiences, and acts consciously and unconsciously in accordance with the cultural, spiritual, and political context of that language. An African born and raised in the United States speaking American English will undoubtedly, at some level or another, act more American than African. His behavior pattern will be more American than African, even if he consistently tries to be African, because to be African requires more than color and desire. It requires a complete reeducation, reorientation as an African man or woman, which will include language, culture, religion history, politics, et cetera.
This is not an overnight process. And it demands, of its proponents, a great deal of planning and concrete examples. In effect, Africans doing what is African, i.e. in the best interest of Africa. This is why we say that language is very important. We talk about that which is traditional and that which is logical for African people.
The use of traditional African language, we suggest Swahili. Puts us back in touch with ourselves and with each other, and with our people. The reason Swahili was chosen over other African languages is because it is in keeping with the second principle of our Black value system, that of self-determination.
Determination to define, name, and speak for ourselves instead of being defined, named, and spoken for by others. Also, as an African language, it is non-tribal, thus avoiding the trap of identifying with one aspect of African people rather than the whole. Finally, Swahili and syntax and sculpture is collective in concept and practice, thus aiding in the realization of the third and fourth principle of the Black value system, which we call Ujima, Collective Work and Responsibility.
[INAUDIBLE] I try to end up with a couple of poems. This is called "Communication of White." And I call it "Communication of White" because I don't think that white people actually listen to us. I'm saying they don't come in one ear and go out the other. It just comes in and bounces back out.
Diddy, diddy, diddy, did.
Ni, ni, ni.
Click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click.
Bom, bom, bom, bom, bom, bom, bom.
All death.
All death to all.
The Paris Peace talks, 1968. I'm going to end up here with this one. It's called "Blackman/ an unfinished history." And we call it an unfinished history because I think that we as Black men will write the finish to this history.
The old music man beat into an alien image of nothingness.
We remember you, and will not forget the days and nights, the weekends, the secret save for the trip north or up south.
We enter the new cities.
They were not ready for us.
Those on the great rivers of lakes, they were clean, then somewhat pure.
You could even drink from them, and the fish lived there in abundance.
We came by back seat Greyhound and special trains up south.
Came us to become a part of the pot that was supposed to melt.
It did, and we burned.
We burned to something different and unknown.
We acquired a new ethic, a new morality, a new history.
And we lost. We lost much.
We lost that that was.
We became Americans.
The best, the real, and blindly adopted her heroes as our own.
Our minds wouldn't function.
What was wrong?
It couldn't have been the air.
It was clean, then.
Today, from the clouds, we look back. 16 sea and the bird with the golden wings.
We came with different shades of dance. And we brought our music and our dance, that which wasn't polluted.
We took on a language, manners, mores, dress, and religion.
The people with the unusual color.
Into the 20th century, we wondered.
Rubber stamped a poor copy.
But the music was ours.
The dance was ours, was ours.
And then, it was hip.
It was hip to walk, talk, and act a certain neighborhood way.
We wore 24-hour sunglasses, and called our women baby.
Our woman.
We wished her something else, and she became that wish.
She developed into what we wanted.
She now reflected how we reflected us with a mirror of our deaf desires.
We failed to protect or respect her.
And no one else would. And we didn't understand.
We didn't understand why she be doing the things she don't do.
The 60 bar is black.
At different levels, at different colors, we searched while some of us still pissed into the wind.
We taste it, and turned our heads into greater vision.
Greatness becomes our new values.
Oh, like telling your daughter she's beautiful and meaning it.
Vee, boom.
Vee boom.
You're going to do it, Jim.
Boom.
You're going to jump around the star of the world.
Black man going to space, man.
All you got to do is think space thoughts.
You slick, Jim.
Yes, you is.
Slick as an oil slick.
Yes, you is.
Just been sliding in the wrong direction. Click.
Be a new world picture.
Click. Click, Black man.
Click, Black man.
Click into the moral space from the old thoughts into the new.
Zoom, zoom, zoom click.
Design your own neighborhood.
Zoom. It can be.
Teach your own children.
Zoom, zoom. It can be.
Build your own city.
Zoom. It can be.
Feed your own people.
Zoom, zoom. It can be.
Watch out, world.
Greatness is coming. Click, click.
Pettyjohn community. Zoom, zoom. It can be.
Create man, Black man.
Walk through the world as if you're a world itself.
Click. Be an extension of everything beautiful and powerful.
Click, Click.
Hey, Black man.
Look like you be named something like Earth, sun, or mountain.
Go ahead, universe.
Zoom, zoom, zoom.
Click, click. Be it, Black man.
Asante Sana Thank you very much.
[APPLAUSE]
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