IF I SHOULD DIE . . . LET ME BE THE LAST
by Kemet Mawakana, a.k.a. the Seven Foot Poet
To hear the Seven Foot Poet perform this original work, click the flash player below
{mp3}poetry/093_7ft_if_i_shd_die{/mp}
If I should die at the hands of a police officer
Let me be the last
The last African man to die for
Reaching for a cell phone wallet keys license registration or the throat of A police officer
The last African man to die for
Driving speeding walking breathing
Opening a door sitting in a car getting out of a car leaving a business Establishment sleeping in bed raising a family building a community
Prospering surviving or just for being.
If I should die at the hands of a police officer
Let me be the last
The last death of an African man that
Triggers a response of a
Candle light vigil
Memorial t-shirt
Non-profit support group
State federal independent or internal investigation.
{youtube}QaZ9Xt2qKiM{/youtube}
If I should die at the hands of a police officer
Let me be the last
The last death of an African man that
Triggers a response of a
March protest riot or demonstration
Led by the NAACPUrbanLeagueB’naiB’rithAmnestyInternationAlphaKappaPsiOmegaDelta’s
RadioOne ABCNBCCBSCNN Television and Radio personalities.
If I should die at the hands of a police officer
Let me be the last
The last death of an African man
Where it is said violence is not the answer
And it is conveniently and intentionally overlooked and ignored
That peaceful discussions tactics and morality appeals
Have subjected and continue to subject
African people to the undisputed certainty of continued
Injustice violence and murder visited upon them and their children.
If I should die at the hands of a police officer
Let me be the last
The last death of an African man
Where the police officer is not coincidentally killed or tragically dies in an “accident”
Several years after my death fades from mainstream media memory
Thereby ensuring that the officer is deprived of enjoying the Pensionseverancepaybonus The officer was allowed to keep when cleared Of any wrongdoing or convicted of wrongdoing in my death.
If I should die at the hands of a police officer
Let me be the last
The last death of an African man or woman
Where the children of the police officer
Do not receive the punishment handed out by their parent.
If I should die at the hands of a police officer
Let me be the last
The last African man
To have songs poems articles columns blogs
Written about him as a victim of police brutality
Instead let them write about the “coincidental” deaths of the Police Chief
And three biggest donors to the Fraternal Order of Police.
{youtube}vKy-WSZMklc{/youtube}
If I should die at the hands of a police officer
Let me be the last
The last African man
To be misconstrued as calling for an eye for an eye
Especially when the status quo is your eye for a subsequent apology
From a spokesperson on behalf the perpetrator
Remember if ever it is to be an eye for eye
Your odds of retaining vision are better if the preemptive strike is yours
For Negroes with Guns even if they Strike a Blow and Die
Will have advanced the chances for
Justice peace universal love and harmony
Maybe Always Anyway Try.
By Kemit Mawakana (aka The Seven-Foot Poet)
Peace (when appropriate) War (when necessary)
Copyright 2008.
Kemit Mawakana (aka “The Seven-Foot Poet”) is a highly acclaimed spoken-word artist, and has published two books A . . . Z . . . Infinity and Crucifixion of My Soul. The collective body of his works presented weekly in BAR are in tribute to Listervelt Middleton, Dr. John Henrik Clarke, and “For The People”. Currently, he is a facilitator at AYA Educational Institute (www.ayaed.com) and can be reached at sevenfootpoet@gmail.com.
By vetoing a bill to study reparations, Maryland Governor Wes Moore has aligned himself with a long line of Black Democrats who prioritize white approval over their own base.
The 2020 uprisings could have sparked a multiracial working-class movement against systemic oppression, but liberal elites defanged its radical potential. By reducing Black liberation to performative…
"One Big Beautiful Bank Job!" is the latest from BAR's Poet-in-Residence.
With the ritualistic murder of George Floyd by the occupation forces referred to as the police that roam the streets and barrios of the Black and Brown colonized communities in the United States, the…
As workers across Africa face growing challenges, the leadership of the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation remains crucial in the fight for labor rights and…
