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These Black Hands
Have delivered
And sustained so many
Beautiful Black lives—
Despite aborting oppressive
Racism reeking its ever
Cross-nailing of them;
These Black Hands
Have built Black Kingdoms
And monumental desert
Empires that were able to trade
Gold pound-for-pound for salt
While aiding neighboring nations
In meeting the needs of their people;
These Black Hands
Though chain-shackled
Survived The Middle Passage’s
Bloody wrinkling wet treachery
And withstood shored Auction Block
Slavery’s bigoted racist inhumanity;
These Black Hands
Having survived the many
Body burnings and lynchings
Have built strong bridges
Over evil flowing waters streaming
With the blood of Black bodies
Satanically slaughtered;
These Black Hands
Of brave women and men
With eyes stayed on the prize
Have built underground railroads
Through forests—over mountains–
And through devastating valleys
Filled with shadowing death;
These Black Hands
Have constructed courageous
Inspiration out of apathetic dispair
And have molded liberation desire
Out of undying joyful hope and undying
Resurrected faith and have poured out
Oneness from the cistern of togetherness:-
These Black Hands
Are those of Black Females
And those of Black Males
Whose Black Feet have been washed
By The Hands of The Risen Laborator
Whose resurrection has assured them
Earth’s Promised Amazing Grace;
These Black Hands
Are ever palm-clasped and
Ballfist raised in thanksgiving
Bequeathing to ever be taken
And led upward and onward through
The tribulating treacherous trials and
The stormy nights of the trying times;
These Black Hands
That we’ve been so blessed
To inherit from faith filled ancestors
Will ever be engaged
In disengaging the oppressive syndrome
And in the rehabilitation of freed minds and
Souls in the triumphant sojourn towards liberty:-
