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nancy dupree - black success lyrics

[spoken word]
success
we’re going to take it apart, put it back together
in blackness
oh, ok
see, we’re going to talk about black success
and that’s all i’m going to say
so i’m going to move right on into it
are you successful?
somewhat
mm+hmm
yes
thank you
all right
now, please don’t, don’t let the question make you flinch and turn away
i don’t want to hurt you
as a matter of fact, all i’ve ever wanted to do was soothe you, and sweeten you, and help you heal
cause i need soothing, and sweetening, and healing myself, and i can’t do it alone
so, so, so let’s think this through together
what do you think it is?
this thing they call success
when i look around at my people, i can tell you what it ain’t
it ain’t money
it ain’t land
and it sure enough ain’t control of the government
now, a handful of us have a little bit of this and a little taste of that over yonder, around the corner
but i’m not talking about the handful, y’all
i’m talking about the multitudes
and our multitudes are moneyless
our multitudes are landless
our multitudes are powerless
and homeless
so what does that say?
it says failure to some
it says can’t do no better to some
now let me tell you what it says to me
to me it says, through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light
to me it says, amazing grace, how sweet the sound
to me it says, my soul look back and wonder, ha, i got over
now that’s what it says to me
because i’m not ready to hang no failure sign around my neck
and when you’re hanging it on my people, you’re hanging it on me
so you take that sign and shove it
black success is different, you know?
it’s different because our history is different
and we can’t cut loose from our history
no matter how much we bleach, and fry, and paint
and no matter how well we wear the latest fashions
we will always, always, always
look like lynchings, and rapes, and kidnappings, and whips, and auction blocks
and because we look like lynchings, and rapes, and kidnappings, and whips, and auction blocks
we will always, always, always be the last hired and the first fired
that’s right
the schools will never, never, never stop suspending our children
prices will always, always, always, y’all, be higher where we live
the cops will never, never, never stop kicking our doors down
and before you run that progress thing by me
let me remind you
i’m not talking about the handful
i’m talking about the multitude
it is dangerous to judge by the handful
it is wise to judge by the multitudes
and our multitudes know about them doors
our multitudes live with them prices
ask them about young ones getting sent home from school
now you ask them for the rundown on job security
and if you want to hear about success, they the ones you ought to listen to
i know a lady who enjoys a good laugh
even though her body is broke down from standing on her feet for the last umpteen years, making salads in the kitchen at the airport
i know a couple down in new orleans that put sixteen churn through college
i know a mother who keeps on going
i know a mother who keeps on going, but her heart busted wide open
even the fools in the courtroom knew it didn’t hold water
but her son went to jail just the same
now i can hear you asking, what does that have to do with success?
success is big cars, fine homes, mink coats
so how are you going to connect coats and cars and houses with laughing, and college, and somebody who keeps on going?
i can’t eat them cars and coats
i’m going to come closer to you, because i want you to hear my answer real good
if success is what you say it is, then what does that make your mama?
do she wear minks?
do she drive a big sheen?
no
does she give you a mansion to grow up in?
no
if success is what you say it is
then your mama is a failure
if success is what you say it is
then millions of black mamas are failures
because millions of black mamas just can’t pay the rent
millions of black mamas just can’t scr+pe together bus fare
millions of black mamas ain’t had a new coat in years
but they got a smile on their face sometimes
if success is what you said it is, then what does that make you and your brothers, and your cousins, and your uncles, and aunts, and all your relatives and friends?
show me y’all’s minks
show me y’all’s thousand acres
and which one of y’all makes real decisions in the government?
and if you and your whole generation ain’t wealthy and powerful, my question is why?
is y’all too dumb?
is you too lazy?
or is it that y’all just don’t give a booger?
well, if you and your whole generation is lazy, and dumb, and don’t care
then me and my generation must be lazy, and dumb, and don’t care too
because we ain’t wealthy and powerful neither
matter of fact, i’m a rent payer
me too
and a bus rider
and the only fur i own is a possum collar on a coat i bought in ’69
all right
all right
matter of fact, most of the folks i know are rent payers
all right
and i run into a whole bunch of friends at the bus stop
matter of fact, if you check the bus stops and the landlords all across this country
you will find that we are bus riders and rent payers by the multitudes
and i ask again, why?
why?
was we someplace else when god was passing out brains and sp+nk?
are we dumb by nature? no
are we lazy by nature?
can i tell you what i think?
yeah
run it
let me tell you what i think, and we’ll put it with what you think, and we’ll see what we come out with
i think you got two major groups of people in this united states of america
group one: descendants of slaves
all right
group two: descendants of enslavers
descendants of slaves come in a multitude of colors
from velvet black, to honey brown, to sweet moonlight
descendants of slaves are full of music
they laugh music
they walk music
there’s music in their heartbreak
music in their memories
descendants of slaves try to escape their memories
memories of lynchings
memories of rapes
memories of kidnappings
whips and auction blocks
escape through skin lighteners, and hot combs, and makeup
escape through tv, and fashions, and s+x
escape through teasing, and laughing, and dancing
escape from thinking
escape from remembering
all right
and the desire to escape is natural, because the memories cut like razors
memories like, we rented the apartment just a few minutes before you called
i heard that before
memories like, we’ll keep your application on file
memories like, this kind of behavior will not be tolerated in our school
or like, grand jury rules justifiable homicide in police shooting of nine+year+old
so yeah, the desire to escape is natural
because the memories cut like razors
descendants of slaves have two shadows
one is a body shadow, and it’s natural, and innocent, and friendly
it goes wherever you go, and it moves whenever you move
the other one also goes where you go, and moves when you move
but it ain’t natural
it’s forced on you
it ain’t innocent
it’s cunning
and it’s sure not being friendly
it’s a deadly enemy
and the enemy’s name is fear
fear
fear is the constant companion of all slave descendants
from the handful throughout the multitudes
fear of dum+dum bullets
fear of courtrooms
fear of job interviews
fear of apartment hunting
fear of the dean’s office
fear of the boss’s office
fear of the welfare office
fear of the landlord
real, living, snaking fear
our history has taught us to fear
and yeah, we try to escape it
uh+huh
with skin lighteners, and hot combs, and makeup
with tv, and fashions, and s+x
with laughing, and teasing, and dancing
but no matter how loud we laugh
no matter how long we stay in the bedroom
fear remains our shadow
that’s how come 16 churn through college
and laughter from a tired, sick lady
and a mother who keeps on going
are outrageously astounding
they do all that in spite of
anything done by slave descendants has got to be done in spite of
in spite of the bullets
in spite of the court rules
in spite of the schools
in spite of the fear
and we do it
you do it
and i do it
your mama does it
my cousin does it
your uncle does it
my aunt sweet did it
your sister
my brother
your friends
my friends
we all mad
we laugh sometimes
we all make some love
we even fry up some chicken
and we can sure enough pop some fingers
now some of us live in the suburbs
a lot of us live in the projects
some of us go to college
a lot of us go to jail
but suburbs or projects
college or jail
we all can claim distinction
we have managed to live
we continue to live
and that is black success

- nancy dupree lyrics

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