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Imperative

To the editor:

Go.

Go back to Africa

We so order you all

and threaten you

Millions of you were packed here

You came

You enriched us by your labor

and your art

your constant suffering

You bent your backs for us

spread your legs for us

cramped your souls

Or we hung you

or burned you

whipped or shot you

 –

Today your mere presence here reminds us

of the history we rewrote

our sins visited upon you

our everyday wickedness

 –

Today the sight of you

Gives rise to feelings of

fear, revulsion

fear, regret

fear we are obliged to contain

And constant need for pretense

 –

Black will never be white

White is all we know

all we revere

all we are comfortable with

 –

These Truths are self-evident

You must go

Go back to Africa.

Phil Fitzpatrick

Onchiota

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