Adventurous is its own Beauty



Elder listening to a young woman

Amiri Baraka’s Influence; the following was written in the living room of his home in Newark. 

~ R.I.P.  

Negrosity

I had the pleasure one day,
a blessing I’d say,
of conversing with Amiri Baraka.
He explained to me,
in words I could see,
some truths that would plainly shock ya.

This one thing he said,
stands out in my head,
that especially peaked my curiosity.
He used a term,
that made me squirm,
I refer here to “Negrosity.”

He said, “Most of our folk,
are fastened with a yoke,
tethered by restraints not seen.
There are shackles on our brains,
our mentality’s in chains,
hooked on social amphetamines.

We are perpetual consumers,
food for parasitic tumors,
that devour and thrive off our labor.
Negrosity is the condition,
that hinders our fruition,
we must quit this foolish behavior.”

“So, what good sir,
would you prefer,
we do to correct this hideosity?
What steps may be taken,
now that we’ve awakened,
from this sleep called Negrosity?”

“A good question son,
is always one,
where the answer lies deep inside,
if you take inventory,
on yours and his-story,
the solution is spiritual race pride.”

“Whoa now, the mere mention of race,
brings a frown to one’s face,
and most times elicits animosity,
and how can spirit solve,
what the race has evolved,
and what’s pride got to do with Negrosity?”

“Taking pride in your race,
will incite you to trace,
your ancestor’s magnificent luminosity,
then you’ll find categorically,
no question historically,
we’re victims of semiotic atrocities.

There are no Negroes you see,
and Negrosity,
is not even really a word,
And the fact that we answer,
to this semantic cancer,
makes it all the more absurd.

Being proud of who you are,
will diminish the scar,
left by generations of deception.
Spiritual pride in oneself,
will restore your health,
to this rule, there can be no exception.

So its time to pay yourself,
And enjoy the world’s wealth,
God knows you’ve been full of generosity.
And remove the stigma,
that caused this enigma.
Take off the shackle of Negrosity!”

June 1999, Ty Gray-El
Result of a conversation with Amiri Baraka




Ice Cube statement