I am definitely not your Aunt Jemima.
I am Mother Earth, Daughter of a New Day,
Sistah Vegan.
Even in my days of playing hide-and-go-seek with
Fresh produce in the local store,
Even my earliest delicacies were cruelty free,
Sunflower seeds soaked in vinegar, French fries,
Pickles with peppermint sticks,
Peanut butter and jelly.
And this is in the projects,
Where healthy eating is chased away like a suspect
And free milk and cheese was supposed to put our minds at ease
About the disease that towered above our existence in the
Absence of trees
And, even now, I knew the government was pleased to keep
So many of us, caged away from our ancestral pride,
“Giving” us food stamps to buy things that were killing us inside
While they were eating squash and eggplant and discussing
Peace in the Middle East,
While the Black population decreased and decreased because
We kept cooking with the same grease (you know the can on the stove)
Over and over again.
Did you know that the first Black mayor of Chicago was Harold Washington?
Yeah, he died from a heart attack in the middle of a meeting after being known for
Eating two pizzas at a time
Did you know that Martin Luther King was on his way to a personally requested
“Soul Food” meal when he was struck down at the hotel after
Sharing a catfish plate earlier with Ralph Abernathy?
When he spoke of being “Free At Last,” did our Americanized palates ever
Come up for discussion?
Was anybody rushing to say “We Shall Overcome Cancer and Obesity”
Or are we still holding on to our story about how “Massuh” fed us the scraps
And that's all we know how to eat?
Then, who educated Dick Gregory?
So, no, I'm not Aunt Jemima and I do honor compassion and love on my plate.
Hardly am I ever haunted by what I ate.
Yes, you can eat peacefully on a small amount of change
But the question is how long you plan to maintain the lie to yourself,
Your people and health?
I am Sistah Vegan.