From: "Rodney Coates" To: "Racial-Religious-EthnoNationalist Violence Studies" Date: Thu, 04 Apr 96 17:28:21 +0 Reply-To: "Rodney Coates" Subject: Connect the Dots Connect the Dots Rodney Coates/96 Mae Jemison attacked by cops for being black in the wrong space Another pair of shoes, starter jackets to go, ignorance and dropouts at an all time high Watch the blood, keep getting high and connect the dots. Rape stains Emory walls, three black heroes cast in jail Wrong time, another book unread, class not taken. Teen pregnancies and unemployment stepping high Watch the tube, keep those drinks coming and connect the dots. Thirty-two percent black males in jail, on probation or dieing a slow death Sistas looking hard for a good man waiting to exhale. Doctors selling drugs, preachers stealing tithes, politicians need that vote Watch that boy, keep him out and connect the dots. Two white boys just having fun - blow darts in the back Black pain, cheap thrills, hit them up again. Racism up, hope down, despair runs like water Watch that girl, keep her down and connect the dots. Black novels collecting dust, INTERNET chatter- lock and load the depraved continuous to breed, white power, freeman wanting to kill the freedman Move burnt in 2 nights, but we gotta be patient like asses - they's white you know Watch the polls, keep your faith and connect the dots. Hate will rot your brains, crack will seal your fate, ignorance will kill by eight. Seven young blacks burned alive, twenty black churches burned in silence Six geese a laying, five children a playing - with guns in the bedroom. Watch the blood, keep it flowing and connect the dots. Connect the dots, forget watts, E.St. Louis is by the Nile Mississippi born, muddy waters sings of this stain Sade would but she's forgotten the words, and Miles is away this week OH mercy mercy me, getta grip, and connect the dots. umoja Only when lions have historians will hunters cease being heroes. African Proverb Without struggle there is no progress. Frederick Douglass The most potent weapon of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed. Steven Biko yours in the struggle Rodney D. Coates Director of Black World Studies Associate Professor of Sociology Miami University Oxford, Ohio 45056 513 529-1235 email: coatesrd@casmail.muohio.edu