THE RACE GAME IN BLACK AND WHITE (2022)

Turner and Brown

There were no races
Before 1676,
During that time
Europeans and Arikans were mixed.

On the plantations
As servants and slaves,
United as one
Cradle to grave.

They suffered lived
Loved and died the same,
Then in 1676
Revolt came.

Nathaniel Bacon
A planter himself,
Had a vision
To enhance his wealth.

By raiding Indians
On surrounding lands,
By the government knew
They couldn’t stand.

All the first nations
Banded against them,
So they rebuked bacon
And this incensed him.

In turn
Bacon went into a rage,
Incited a revolt
United servants and slaves.

Promised them freedom
If they would ride,
Against the government
On his side.

The revolt was lit
And they burned down,
The colonial capitol
At Jamestown.

The governor
William Berkeley fled,
And Nathaniel Bacon rose
To the head.

Of power won by
A slave uprising,
Six months later from the flu
Bacon died and.

English reinforcements arrived
Took command,
Regained control
After one last stand.

Of Afrikan rebels
Who refused,
To return to slavery
And its abuse.

Back in power
The planters realized,
They were outnumbered by slaves
And had to devise.

A system to divide their numbers
And themselves protect,
Use one part of the poor
To keep the rest in check.

It was this need
And at this time,
That they first invented
The color line.

In 1682 created laws
Dividing negro and white,
Phased out white servitude
Gave them guns to fight.

Against the Blacks
Whom they portrayed,
As ordained by god
To be permanent slaves.

Taught the poor whites
That they were the brothers,
Of the rich planters
Based on skin color.

Then they created a force
For armed control,
Uniting all whites
Into slave patrols.

With muskets hounds
And on horseback,
To terrorize and keep
Black slaves in check.

Meantime the planters
Through the churches and schools,
Perfected their system
Of divide and rule.

Portraying blacks as evil
The lowest of life,
Inventing all sorts of
Dehumanizing stereotypes.

This is how racism
First began,
So effective at mass control
It spread across the land.

And is still used
For control today,
Whenever the masse rile up
Those in power play.

The race blame game
Inciting the people based on color,
To turn their outrage
Against each other.

Even though today
Scientists deny,
That races exist
And expose the lie.

Invented by political conniving
For social control,
The race game still
Has a secure hold.

On masses of people
Because it remains a tool,
Of the capitalist system’s
Divide and rule.

The game works
By inciting division,
Whether its white black
Red or brown chauvinism.

What we must do
Among ourselves,
Is realize its the tool
Of those with wealth.

To keep the workers and poor
All at bay,
And divert our attention
And struggles away.

From the common enemy
Who once again,
Is the wealthy minority
With their hands.

In control of all the power
And basic things,
That working people create
And we all need.

To survive
To live and thrive,
So we must unite and fight
Seize the time!