Historical Revenue

 

           

 

                             I. Introduction:  My name is MisDajania, pronounced ms-daja-nae

                              Before you ask yes that is really my name

                             Mis:demanding respect from everybody. Dajania: french for lunch funny right?

                             With that name comes criticism, confused looks and responsibility

                             But I  take them on

                             My name is who I am.

                             The deepest part of me.

                             There are a lot of things I can change but I'll  always be MisDajania.

                             Enough of the name stuff I’m so many more things.

                             I am an African American woman. The descendent of a slave.

                             Relative to some person stripped away from the motherland.

                             Hauled off to some White folks’ plantation.

                             Beaten, raped ,over-worked & all for free

                             Confused and scared of the new place they are forced to call home.

                             Ironically enough I am also kin to those evil Anglos

                             I have white blood mixing in with that African blood. But

                            I don't claim it, I am an African American woman.

                            With nappy hair, full lips and brown skin.

                            I'm the girl who has Southern roots that run deep.

                           Big mama and Antie care for the youngin'

                           Big Papa and Uncle whom ever worked the fields for little money

                           Then again I'm a city girl, San Francisco raised

                           Cold weather, bus lines & lots of water

                           The girl who is able to sit on the front of the bus , kudos to Rosa Parks

                           My way has been paved by the brothers and sisters who walked in Birmingham

                           I'm eligible for the UNCF

                          Madame CJ Walker made sure my hair could always be whipped

                          This is me because I am an African American woman remember?

                          I forgot to mention my middle name, Maya.

                          After the remarkable poet, to whom I owe my wisdom

                          The sista that gave other Africans a voice

                          Poetic and written intelligence

                         Within that I am able to speak freely and fiercely

                         My brother Malcolm X made that possible

                         Though my family started from the field

                         Picking cotton in the scorching hot sun

                         Caring for White babies

                         Men watching their wives be beat  tears dropping in the whip wounds

                         I was created, the next generation

                         I MisDajania will find our puzzle piece of this world.

                         However, still haven't finished telling who I am......

 

                  II. Ancient History

 

 

Long ago I lived in a far out place

My feet were hugged by warm sand and the 100 degree sun kissed my skin

I was “the beautiful one’’,

Queen of the Egyptians

Nefertiti was my name

I took my seat on the throne at fifteen with my husband the Pharaoh

With whom I bore six daughters

I loved his sweet kisses

Often times the people of Egypt saw our displays of affection

We had a sincere unbreakable bond

Together we created Aten

In honor of our beloved sun

We would be the spokesmen for it

We made sure the citizens worshiped it

I had an enormous amount of power

I was famous amongst the people

Then one day I was gone without a trace….

 

I’d like to introduce someone who may be my distant relative

The boy king of Egypt

The boy Pharaoh

Tut born in 1341 BCE became the 12th king of the 18th dynasty

The living image of Aten

They never told the poor guy his mother was also his aunt

I guess that would explain the cleft and club foot

The kids just teased him for it

That same boy at about eight became ruler of Egypt

However decision making was left up to Ay and  Holemheb

That boy later grew into a young man

5 feet and 8 inches

A normal healthy build

He fought strong and hard against the Nubians and Syrians

His reign didn’t last for too long though

Eighteen years on land

Ten years of ruling

And it was all over

So abruptly the boy king was deceased.

 

But all good things come to an end

Ancient Egypt Fail

Though Cleopatra earned her keep for 14 years

Augustus came and conquered

30 BC the Romans claimed Egypt as theirs.                                    

 

III. Melting Pot

 

My ancestors arrived to the U.S. on slave ships

Forced into cruel and harsh labor

They called a strange new land their home

Weird language, new food and White faces

Stuck with racism, segregation and fear

They picked cotton and cared for White babies

Mistakes meant literal whippings and other harsh abuse

They sang about wading in the water and overcoming to pass the time

They hoped that one day they would be set free

 

My grandmother comes from Homer`

A small Louisiana town

Cotton fields, corn fields and chickens running a muck

Typical life for a poor Black kid in the South

A fair-skinned girl with straight black hair

An inheritance from her White and Native American grandmother

Yet and still there wasn’t anything for her in Louisiana

In 1946 she packed up her life and headed West

She became a part of the Second Great Migration

Like other southern Blacks is was time for a better life

She boarded a Greyhound bus and rode into her new life

San Francisco became her new home

City life, fast cars and processed hair

She would now be able to continue her education

With a high school diploma she then went on

To become a nurse

All while raising her little boy

Her determination and hard-work

Is the reason I am able to stand in front of you today

 

IV. Current Reality

 

In 1955 a 14 year old Black boy was brutally murdered

His name was Emmett Till

He had allegedly flirted with a white woman

Till had failed to realize that Black and White contact was taboo in the south

His mother Mamie had to lay her eyes on her son’s mutilated body

The image would forever be embedded in her mind as well as the Nation’s eyes

His funeral was broadcast and made public

The world saw what they had done to Mamie’s boy

 

Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat

She had never been a fan of segregation nor racism

After living her life in that type of world she became fed up

In 1955 she took a stance or shall I say seat

Her refusal which led to her arrest sparked  the Montgomery bus boycott

That sparked also ignited the civil rights movement

My people came together to demand a change

They walked together and rode together until the buses were desegregated

 

As an African American teen I come with baggage

My ancestors were slaves

My family grew up in a time of segregation

Society does not have faith in me

My generation is expected to fail

We have been left in the world with no leaders or role models

We do not have the courage as did the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee

Our only voice is laced with foul words and attitude

Our battles are fought not by our minds but by the release of a bullet from a chamber

 

Viola Liuzzo was the first white martyr to die for the civil rights movement

Her life let the world know change wasn’t impossible

Liuzzo was tired of seeing Blacks mistreated

Whites were infuriated that she had become involved in the movement

She was a traitor to her own race

Her betrayal caught up with her

She was seen driving in a car with a black man

A single bullet plunged through her skull

Fired by a Klansman

 

Yet and still the fight for equality wasn’t over

So much hard work had been put in but it was not over

There would be so many more speeches, walks and protests to follow

Eventually segregation became illegal

Racism is still around it has just lost its popularity

 

V. Thinking Ahead

 

My history is powerful

It has the force of a lion’s fist

A lot of it irritates  me

As red does a bull

Other aspects make me proud

The people that I have learned about have inspired me

My strength comes from Martin

My fearlessness comes from Harriet

My outspoken voice comes from Angela

My history means I can carry the heaviest weight on my shoulders

My history is mine to keep

My history is in my heart

My history is the story of my life before I was born

 

My future holds success

My heritage will not allow me to fail

My future is what I make it

I plan to make it the best

I’ll walk every day with my head up

Determination and ambition in my eyes

I have my goals in mind

Without them I have no future

I’ll enter the real world being more than

What society expects of me

 

In the future I’ll make those who paved my way proud

I hold the responsibility of  walking the path they have made for me

Those Negroes in the south didn’t die

Hang by their necks from trees

and go to jail in vain

 

My people must remember what it means to be African

They have forgotten who they are

The blood that pumps through them is rich

That our ancestors we kings, queens and warriors

They carried wounds and scars of strength on their backs

Our elders have marched for miles with pride

They have felt the fiery burn of teargas

Dogs have gnawed at their legs

Water hoses in full force knocked  them down

But they were able to get back up

We as the next generation must remember our pride

 

We need to regain faith in ourselves

To know we are worth more than the ‘hoods we are dying for

Guns do not give us credibility, our intelligence does

My peoples’ future is undetermined

We need to believe in each other

We need to stand together in harmony as they did in Washington

Our lives cannot reflect those of a rap star

We need our own leaders and to be leaders ourselves

To have self respect

Walk everyday with dignity

Have the courage that those before us had

Ultimately we need to give a damn

 

     Historical Revenue

 

           

 

                             I. Introduction:  My name is MisDajania, pronounced ms-daja-nae

                              Before you ask yes that is really my name

                             Mis:demanding respect from everybody. Dajania: french for lunch funny right?

                             With that name comes criticism, confused looks and responsibility

                             But I  take them on

                             My name is who I am.

                             The deepest part of me.

                             There are a lot of things I can change but I'll  always be MisDajania.

                             Enough of the name stuff I’m so many more things.

                             I am an African American woman. The descendent of a slave.

                             Relative to some person stripped away from the motherland.

                             Hauled off to some White folks’ plantation.

                             Beaten, raped ,over-worked & all for free

                             Confused and scared of the new place they are forced to call home.

                             Ironically enough I am also kin to those evil Anglos

                             I have white blood mixing in with that African blood. But

                            I don't claim it, I am an African American woman.

                            With nappy hair, full lips and brown skin.

                            I'm the girl who has Southern roots that run deep.

                           Big mama and Antie care for the youngin'

                           Big Papa and Uncle whom ever worked the fields for little money

                           Then again I'm a city girl, San Francisco raised

                           Cold weather, bus lines & lots of water

                           The girl who is able to sit on the front of the bus , kudos to Rosa Parks

                           My way has been paved by the brothers and sisters who walked in Birmingham

                           I'm eligible for the UNCF

                          Madame CJ Walker made sure my hair could always be whipped

                          This is me because I am an African American woman remember?

                          I forgot to mention my middle name, Maya.

                          After the remarkable poet, to whom I owe my wisdom

                          The sista that gave other Africans a voice

                          Poetic and written intelligence

                         Within that I am able to speak freely and fiercely

                         My brother Malcolm X made that possible

                         Though my family started from the field

                         Picking cotton in the scorching hot sun

                         Caring for White babies

                         Men watching their wives be beat  tears dropping in the whip wounds

                         I was created, the next generation

                         I MisDajania will find our puzzle piece of this world.

                         However, still haven't finished telling who I am......

 

                  II. Ancient History

 

 

Long ago I lived in a far out place

My feet were hugged by warm sand and the 100 degree sun kissed my skin

I was “the beautiful one’’,

Queen of the Egyptians

Nefertiti was my name

I took my seat on the throne at fifteen with my husband the Pharaoh

With whom I bore six daughters

I loved his sweet kisses

Often times the people of Egypt saw our displays of affection

We had a sincere unbreakable bond

Together we created Aten

In honor of our beloved sun

We would be the spokesmen for it

We made sure the citizens worshiped it

I had an enormous amount of power

I was famous amongst the people

Then one day I was gone without a trace….

 

I’d like to introduce someone who may be my distant relative

The boy king of Egypt

The boy Pharaoh

Tut born in 1341 BCE became the 12th king of the 18th dynasty

The living image of Aten

They never told the poor guy his mother was also his aunt

I guess that would explain the cleft and club foot

The kids just teased him for it

That same boy at about eight became ruler of Egypt

However decision making was left up to Ay and  Holemheb

That boy later grew into a young man

5 feet and 8 inches

A normal healthy build

He fought strong and hard against the Nubians and Syrians

His reign didn’t last for too long though

Eighteen years on land

Ten years of ruling

And it was all over

So abruptly the boy king was deceased.

 

But all good things come to an end

Ancient Egypt Fail

Though Cleopatra earned her keep for 14 years

Augustus came and conquered

30 BC the Romans claimed Egypt as theirs.                                    

 

III. Melting Pot

 

My ancestors arrived to the U.S. on slave ships

Forced into cruel and harsh labor

They called a strange new land their home

Weird language, new food and White faces

Stuck with racism, segregation and fear

They picked cotton and cared for White babies

Mistakes meant literal whippings and other harsh abuse

They sang about wading in the water and overcoming to pass the time

They hoped that one day they would be set free

 

My grandmother comes from Homer`

A small Louisiana town

Cotton fields, corn fields and chickens running a muck

Typical life for a poor Black kid in the South

A fair-skinned girl with straight black hair

An inheritance from her White and Native American grandmother

Yet and still there wasn’t anything for her in Louisiana

In 1946 she packed up her life and headed West

She became a part of the Second Great Migration

Like other southern Blacks is was time for a better life

She boarded a Greyhound bus and rode into her new life

San Francisco became her new home

City life, fast cars and processed hair

She would now be able to continue her education

With a high school diploma she then went on

To become a nurse

All while raising her little boy

Her determination and hard-work

Is the reason I am able to stand in front of you today

 

IV. Current Reality

 

In 1955 a 14 year old Black boy was brutally murdered

His name was Emmett Till

He had allegedly flirted with a white woman

Till had failed to realize that Black and White contact was taboo in the south

His mother Mamie had to lay her eyes on her son’s mutilated body

The image would forever be embedded in her mind as well as the Nation’s eyes

His funeral was broadcast and made public

The world saw what they had done to Mamie’s boy

 

Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat

She had never been a fan of segregation nor racism

After living her life in that type of world she became fed up

In 1955 she took a stance or shall I say seat

Her refusal which led to her arrest sparked  the Montgomery bus boycott

That sparked also ignited the civil rights movement

My people came together to demand a change

They walked together and rode together until the buses were desegregated

 

As an African American teen I come with baggage

My ancestors were slaves

My family grew up in a time of segregation

Society does not have faith in me

My generation is expected to fail

We have been left in the world with no leaders or role models

We do not have the courage as did the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee

Our only voice is laced with foul words and attitude

Our battles are fought not by our minds but by the release of a bullet from a chamber

 

Viola Liuzzo was the first white martyr to die for the civil rights movement

Her life let the world know change wasn’t impossible

Liuzzo was tired of seeing Blacks mistreated

Whites were infuriated that she had become involved in the movement

She was a traitor to her own race

Her betrayal caught up with her

She was seen driving in a car with a black man

A single bullet plunged through her skull

Fired by a Klansman

 

Yet and still the fight for equality wasn’t over

So much hard work had been put in but it was not over

There would be so many more speeches, walks and protests to follow

Eventually segregation became illegal

Racism is still around it has just lost its popularity

 

V. Thinking Ahead

 

My history is powerful

It has the force of a lion’s fist

A lot of it irritates  me

As red does a bull

Other aspects make me proud

The people that I have learned about have inspired me

My strength comes from Martin

My fearlessness comes from Harriet

My outspoken voice comes from Angela

My history means I can carry the heaviest weight on my shoulders

My history is mine to keep

My history is in my heart

My history is the story of my life before I was born

 

My future holds success

My heritage will not allow me to fail

My future is what I make it

I plan to make it the best

I’ll walk every day with my head up

Determination and ambition in my eyes

I have my goals in mind

Without them I have no future

I’ll enter the real world being more than

What society expects of me

 

In the future I’ll make those who paved my way proud

I hold the responsibility of  walking the path they have made for me

Those Negroes in the south didn’t die

Hang by their necks from trees

and go to jail in vain

 

My people must remember what it means to be African

They have forgotten who they are

The blood that pumps through them is rich

That our ancestors we kings, queens and warriors

They carried wounds and scars of strength on their backs

Our elders have marched for miles with pride

They have felt the fiery burn of teargas

Dogs have gnawed at their legs

Water hoses in full force knocked  them down

But they were able to get back up

We as the next generation must remember our pride

 

We need to regain faith in ourselves

To know we are worth more than the ‘hoods we are dying for

Guns do not give us credibility, our intelligence does

My peoples’ future is undetermined

We need to believe in each other

We need to stand together in harmony as they did in Washington

Our lives cannot reflect those of a rap star

We need our own leaders and to be leaders ourselves

To have self respect

Walk everyday with dignity

Have the courage that those before us had

Ultimately we need to give a damn