I Hate Being Jackie Robinson

24 Jun 2008

by Kemet Mawakana (aka “The Seven-Foot Poet”)

There is a special burden that goes with being "the first", or "the only", or "one of the few" black faces in a workplace, school or professional situation. Jackie Robinson was neither the first nor the last to bear this load. The Seven Foot Poet speaks to those who bear this load.

I HATE BEING JACKIE ROBINSON

(Dedicated to the brothers and sisters competing in America’s rat race.)

Click the flash player below to hear the Seven Foot Poet perform this original work.

{mp3}poetry/090_7ft_jackie-robinson{/mp3}

I Hate Being Jackie Robinson

Being the only one

Being the first one.

You look at me with envy.

I look in the mirror and shun.

Monday thru Friday

Though no one yells slurs

Explicitly threatens to terminate my existence on this earth

It hurts being Jackie Robinson.

Make no mistake

Even if my teammates are great

Championship caliber

They still can’t really relate

To my fate.

I hate being Jackie Robinson.

Material goods badly compensate

For torment endured

By me the lonely baobab tree

In a forest of timber wood and evergreens.

Being Jackie Robinson is no fun.

And I ain’t even half of him.

So don’t congratulate me on how well I’ve done

Because over the cheers of the fans – I hear my soul booing.

I hate being Jackie Robinson.

By Kemit Mawakana (aka The Seven-Foot Poet)

Peace (when appropriate) War (when necessary)

Kemet Mawakana (aka “The Seven-Foot Poet”) is a highly acclaimed spoken-word artist, and has published two books A . . . Z . . . Infinity and Crucifixion of My Soul. The collective body of his works presented weekly in BAR are in tribute to Listervelt Middleton, Dr. John Henrik Clarke, and “For The People”. Currently, he is a facilitator at AYA Educational Institute (www.ayaed.com) and can be reached at [email protected].

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