Out of Motherland Africa¹,
ripped from my people
into the iron-heavy chains,
stifling my motions,
I look at the sea, the dark threatening waters
awaiting
to carry us on an endless, wicked journey,
       I heard my weeping mother yell to me,
                       "Remember."

Out of slavery,
Lord knows the scars and horrors of my hands,
body, mind, & soul been through
I've forgotten my language, my home,
my hopes, my culture or even where
my family are.
Yet, as I watch my people heading for the
cities of the North or the farms of the South, no
money, no food, no clear guidance.
               Somewhere I heard my mother
               whisper to me,
                             "Remember."

Out of Jim Crow²,
with all its burning crosses and
burnt promises,
facing the stony faces of those that wear the
badge of law and order,
holding the nightsticks that have
senselessly beat
thousands of my people while we sang
"We shall overcome"³ and
trying to keep believing that.
Raise your Black Power fist
Say Right on, Black is beautiful.⁴
Don't know why my head is hurting, some
kind of image is trying
to fight its way into it,
               It's screaming my mother's voice
              and eyes saying,
                             "Remember."

Out of the burning riots of LA,⁵
Through the red smoke of anger finally
unleashed,
I stand motionless to see the images finally
flashing before my eyes,
The drug dealers gaining control, the bullets
flying toward our people by
our own brothers,
the punch of the rap lyrics attacking the
dignity of sisters,⁶
poverty, unwanted pregnancies, AIDS,⁷
clarence and anita⁸
               Suddenly, I saw the image of my mother
               Signing to me,
                             "Remember."

Out of the cosmos,⁹
Out of Africa,
Stationed here in America,
The Black Deaf Woman,
challenging and transforming systems
shattering restricting definitions
until she becomes in-defin-able,
timeless, progressive, creative,
and unstoppable.

     Don't you remember?

1	Motherland Africa Africa is recognized as the homeland of many African Americans. It is the place where their family came from.
2	Jim Crow "Jim Crow laws" were laws in America (from about 1875 to 1965) that supported the idea that white and black people must be separate. This lead to poorer and more inferior schools and public places (like restaurants) for blacks and were also used to excuse discrimination and limitations that black people in America suffered.
3	"We shall overcome" A phrase used during the civil rights movement of the 1960s. It comes from a protest song/African American spiritual song. It communicates the belief that oppressed people will, in the future, achieve equality.
4	Raise your Black Power fist Say Right on, Black is beautiful. "Raise your black power fist": a symbol for the black power movement (in particular, the Black Panther Party of the 1960s). A salute of protest most commonly shown by the picture of two Black Olympic gold medal winners (John Carlos and Tommie Smith) who raised their black power fist during the playing of the national anthem during the awards ceremony. "right on": {idiom -- adverb from African American Non-Standard English}, meaning "you said it perfectly, I agree." "black is beautiful": a common phrase used during the civil rights movement to reflect pride in black physical features/hairstyles/ as well as culture.
5	Out of the burning riots of LA, These riots occurred in 1965, and lasted six days. They were a protest that happened in response to growing anger in the Watts area of LA related to discrimination and unemployment of Black people. Fires were started by protesters and sparked by arrests and beatings on the part of the police.
6	rap lyrics attacking the dignity of sisters, Hip hop music/gangsta rap are songs that have strong spoken rhymes. Often the words/lyrics are violent and insult Black Women (the "sisters" of Black rappers).
7	poverty, unwanted pregnancies, AIDS, This is a list of social problems of today, and are problems that have greatly impacted the Black community.
8	clarence and anita In 1991, Clarence Thomas (an African American conservative) was nominated as US Supreme Court judge by President George H.W. Bush. During the Senate meetings to decide if the nomination should be supported, Anita Hill (an African American Law professor) came before the Senate. Hill said that Thomas has sexually harassed her when she worked for him in the early 1980s. There was a lot of publicity and this was one of the first times sexual harassment became an openly discussed social issue. Thomas denied it and became a US Supreme Court Judge. But Anita Hill became a symbol of a strong woman willing to stand up to a Senate hearing and powerful man.
9	Out of the cosmos, Cosmos = the universe

Remember

by Kristi B. Merriweather