Jesse Williams’ BET Awards Speech

Jesse Williams’ BET Awards Speech

Here is part of the problem right up front: we have to endure a MacDonald’s add before Jesse Williams’ speech. Surely there is a better way to honor our people than by encouraging them to believe such a corporation cares about what they eat, unless it makes money for them. In any case, it interrupted a poem I wanted to write about fear of blackness in white culture.

Here It Is

2016 by Alice Walker

Here it is
the beauty that scares you
-so you believe-
to death.
For he is certainly gorgeous
and he is certainly where whiteness
to your disbelief
has not wandered off
to die.
No. It is there, tawny skin, gray eyes,
a Malcolm-esque jaw. His loyal parents
may Goddess bless them
sitting proud and happy and no doubt
amazed
at what they have done.
For he is black too. And obviously
with a soul
made of everything.
Try to think bigger than you ever have
or had courage enough to do:
that blackness is not where whiteness
wanders off to die: but that it is
like the dark matter
between stars and galaxies in
the Universe
that ultimately
holds it all
together.

-AW

Three deep bows to a beautiful son.

Video sources: Bet and Uproxx

DISCURSO DE JESSE WILLIAMS EN LA RECEPCIÓN DEL PREMIO BET

(Televisión de Entretenimiento Negra)

He aquí una parte del problema justo ante nosotros: tenemos que soportar un anuncio de MacDonald antes del discurso de Jesse Williams. De seguro hay una forma mejor de honrar a nuestra gente que la de estimular su creencia en que una corporación como esa se preocupa por lo que ellos comen, a menos que le brinde dinero a la corporación. En cualquier caso, interrumpió un poema que quería escribir acerca del miedo a la negritud en la cultura blanca.

AQUÍ ESTÁ

Por Alice Walker, 2016

Aquí está

la belleza que los mata

–eso creen ustedes-

del susto.

Pues él es en verdad hermoso

y está ciertamente donde la blancura

para incredulidad de ustedes

no ha salido

a morir.

No. Está allí, piel pardo rojiza, ojos grises,