And We Rise: The Civil Rights Movement in Poems - Tapa blanda

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Erica Martin (ericamartinthewriterdotcom.wordpress.com) is a freelance editor, specializing in copyediting and developmental editing, and a poet. She has always been fascinated by English, writing, and US History. And We Rise is her first book. She lives with her family in Tennessee. Follow Erica on Twitter @ericaeditor or on Instagram @erica.martin.writes.

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It’s 1877 when

Jim Crow laws say it’s

                        acceptable

                        legal

                        lawful

to segregate Blacks

&

                        whites

based on the color of

their skin.

In

                        schools

                        hospitals

                        churches

                        cemeteries

                        prisons

                        public transit

                        restaurants—-

if you were not

                        white

you were lesser

                        less than

human.

For years

&

years

&

years

&

years

nothing changed,

until 1954

when the Supreme Court reversed its decision

& ruled segregation unconstitutional.

Yet still,

nothing changed.

Because a ruling is only as effective

as its real--world execution.

the Supreme Court rules

in 1896

Blacks are

“Separate but Equal”

yet

outside

in the middle of July

in Birmingham, Alabama,

sweat drips

d

o

w

n

your forehead

your neck

your back

drenching

your shirt

your shorts

your socks

                                                                                                s e p a r a t e

                                                                                                but equal

you find a water fountain

your water fountain

and press the small rusty button

water arches

                                                up

                                                                        and out

waiting

                        for your

puck ered

                        lips

                                                                                                s e p a r a t e

                                                                                                but equal

only

it’s hot

brown

tastes like dirt

you glance around

checking for them

then

sneak a sip

from their fountain

                                                                                                                        s e p a r a t e

                                                                                                                        but equal

it’s cold

ice--cold

and refreshing

you sigh

s e p a r a t e

but equal

you are

not.

the Civil Rights Movement

was more than just

Dr. King

                        marching,

Rosa Parks

                        sitting,

Malcolm X

                        fighting.

it was

your mom

your grandma

your best friend’s great--aunt.

it was

everyday people

like you                              and me.

1954

May 17

Brown v. Board of Education

+

inherently unequal, an unconstitutional violation of the fourteenth amendment

=

white schools 

+

Black  schools

=

a great day for America and its court.

= segregation in public schools                          now illegal

in theory.

SIGNS, EVERYWHERE YOU GO . . . whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only whites only WHITES ONLY

for colored

                        their (other) signs read

funny thing is

white is still a color