| When You Have Spoken With My Tongue Elvert Xavier Barnes Protest Photography & Writings on the Wall |
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You and I can be in the exact same room doing the exact same 'thang' at the exact same time and I assure you that you and I, each, will have different experiences, interpretations and reactions. Because of what we each have been through. Or be. You will be treated differently than me with you being 'white and everything!'. And always be givin' authority over me ... with me 'being black and everythang'. You and I have had a different path, past and journey. My friend. Yet, you keep insistin' that I think, do, see and feel 'just like you'. Your God is not my God. As your God enslaved me while you 'be preaching' Christianity but practicing hypocrisy. Your martyrs 'be not' my heros. Your religion 'ain't' my spirituality. As you'd have me 'turn my cheek' ... as 'my struggles' and pain became your game! And gain. As you, in the name of love but your God, pawned me for drugs but your addictions while you '... be chanting ...' 12-steps to me but doing just the opposite. And you still expect me to trust you and to worship your 'higher power'. Your 'power' derives from the oppression and negation of me. Your addictions are not my afflictions. Your 'white lies' are not my truth. Your fantasies 'ain't' my reality. Your prophecies 'be not' my spirituality. You've lost your 'mutha fuckin' mind because you still treat me just the opposite of how you expect me to treat you. And then you have some problem with how I reflex. "C'est la vie!". If I ever 'turn my cheek' it will be so you can 'kiss my black ass'! Some angry black men might would've put a gun and drugs in their hands. You and I have had a different path, past and journey. "My friend". Taxi-cabs have passed me by 'waving at me' gesturing "I am not going your way, black man" ... and, then, will pick you up right in front of me as you will hop your white ass into the cab as if the world belongs to you. You've asked me "Please, teach me?" and to trust you. And so I did. And "... please, black man, just wait ..." until you understand. As you'd pass me by 'waving at me'. If I wait until you understand it will be too fuckin' late for me. My friend! So when you can dance the dance that I dance or when I 'walk your walk' and at the exact same time 'talk your jive' and believe your 'mutha fuckin' white lies' you and I shall then become one. And it shall be then and only then, my friend, that we shall both speak with the exact same tongue. |
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| Photo Information 1. Richard Renniger Circle Bar, Dupont Circle, WDC 6 August 1995 2. Piereced Tongue Dupont Circle WDC 01 September 1995 3. "Marilyn" Happy Birthday Wadey Mr. P's . WDC 7 november 1995 4. Self-Portrait 39th Birthday 340 15th SE WDC 5 october 1992 5. J. P. Muccio River Farm, Alex VA 9 May 1994 |
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| Spoken Word Project For the Black Men Colored Folks Suicide Documentary Project Mission EXB Photog & Writings |
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