Wednesday, March 8, 2017

"I'm happy here in our small town in America, Miss Christina. I don't have to worry none about any lions."

Excerpt from "Black Blood, Black Seed"

"Benjamin, do you ever miss Africa?"

“Miss Christina, I never was in Africa. My Daddy was born in America, and so was HIS Daddy. I don't know nothing about no Africa."

"But surely you must feel that dark land pull at your heart. The vast plains, the relentless heat, the occasional lions and elephants..."

"I'm happy here in our small town in America, Miss Christina. I don't have to worry none about any lions."

"Does it not bother you, Benjamin, that your ancestors were brought here in chains? Maybe you would have been better off, being in your homeland and doing whatever little things black people in Africa do. Like weave colorful baskets and dance and make Booga Booga noises."

"Miss Christina, sometimes it ain't no fun being black here in the South, but I got a radio, and I can listen to the ballgames. They're even letting black men play baseball in the Big Leagues, now."

"Benjamin, us White People made a mistake in letting you people play baseball with us whites: I mean, it was bad enough letting that Jewish boy Sandy Koufax play. Sometimes we white people are just too nice for our own good."

"You white people ARE a strange bunch, Miss Christina. But I ain't got no wish to go back to Africa."

"You are a strange man, Benjamin. You actually seem to like being in America."

"I do, Miss Christina, I do. You know what America has that Africa don't?"

"What's that, Benjamin?"

"White women. I LIKES the white women..."



I am Laslo.


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