Message to a Young Nigger
Message to a young NIGGER
16, 16, 17, 17, 4 building.
Everyone in here fighting to prove themselves.
16, 16, 17,….bout to be 18 in 3 days.
Birth-day, day no more young boy jail.
No more babysitting, ‘bye’ to the 4 building.
P. C. ….step, step, step, cling, cling, cling, the sound of
my shackles, walking down the hall, fresh meat
lil’ bitch, ugly nigga, everyone with a different
comment, trying to put fear in your heart.
I close my eyes and remember the words of a
real big homie, MOM….”I love you. Keep our head up.”
Step, Step, Step, ‘Nigga!’ ‘Nigga!’
‘Eyyyyy yo Nigga’, the word ‘Nigg’a spread around
Jumping from mouth to mouth like the blunts
we all wish we had in here.
Negros, Morenos, using a word such as ‘Nigga’ like it was never used to insult
not only your family, your race, but your pride and your honor, in a couple words
Your freedom
Humberto is a young participant in our writing workshops at BronxConnects.
Thoughtful, sensitive, and smart, Humberto writes from deep personal experience, and he writes from the heart.
When I read, and re-read this, thinking about how our young people, our beautiful young people, our strength and our future, are sent off to a place like Rikers, to walk the halls in shackles, all I can think is, what are we doing? Can't we do better? And I want to cry.
Please join us Tuesday August 15th at 4:30 at BronxConnects to meet Humberto and our other participants, to show your appreciation and support.
Jessica Hall, ED, PW
