Chapter 2a: The Long Legacy of Slavery, 1900-1909
One of the most memorable poems from this period might be Priscilla Thompson’s poem, “To a Little Colored Boy,” which is addressed to a child who has not yet experienced a concept of race or the phenomenon of racism.
Priscilla Jane Thompson, "To a Little Colored Boy" (1900)
Oh, pure and sportive little child,
Be happy while you may:
Ring out your laughter loud and clear;
Be blithe, enjoy your day.
Your eyes of sloe, they sparkle bright;
Your rounded, dusky cheeks,
Are ever dimpled in a smile,
From each week into weeks.
Build high your castles in the air;
Dream on of manhood's fame;
What matter, if your pure, young, heart,
Deems each man's chance the same.
I hold your little hand in mine;
Fast wags your childish tongue;
Your prospects doth look bright to you,
Because you are so young.
Thou knoweth not, poor little boy,
What Future holds for thee,
Thy dreams are not extravagant,
And yet, they canst not be.
This mass of midnight curly hair,
This soft and dusky skin,
Will bring not fortune's smile to you,
When childhood's day will end.
Thou art a child, of promise rare;
God, for some cause, profound,
Hath cast thee in a finer mold,
Than most about you found.
E'en now your little high-aimed heart,
A pris'ner seems to be,
And with impatience beats the bars,
Of helpless infancy.
You'll bloom a rare high-minded, man;
Surpassing fair-faced men;
Would God, the Future, held for you,
The hope it holds for them.
Would that your path of life could be,
Like theirs, with roses strewn:
Would that your thorns, be brushed aside,
As often as their own.
Would that the world, which you must face,
Were free from this low sin,
To meanly wrong a fellow-man,
For darkness of his skin.
I look me deep into thine eyes;
My love is mixed with grief;
To think that naught, within my power,
Can later, bring relief.
But pure and sportive little boy,
When time his trials lend,
Think not that you are destitute;
In me you have a friend.
[Notes: “sloe” is a bluish-black fruit. “Naught” is an archaic word that is synonymous with “nothing”]
What stands out in this poem is the contrast between the innocence of the boy and the high hopes the poet has for him (“You’ll bloom a rare high-minded man; / Surpassing fair-faced men…”), with the reality of the inevitable encounter with racial discrimination. For Thompson, racism is described in moral terms as a “this low sin” – not some immutable fact of life, but an active choice made by people who could choose differently. While the overall tone of the poem remains hopeful, the closing stanzas do vividly reveal the poet’s frustrations: “My love is mixed with grief;/ To think that naught, within my power,/ Can later, bring relief.”
Another poem that addresses quite serious issues might be Charlotte Linden’s “A Riot”:
Charlotte E. Linden, "A Riot. The Riot in Springfield, Ohio, February 26, 1906" (1907)
When all was quiet and serene, a storm broke out at the dead,
And the roaring of pistols and firebells were heard;
On the sound of the midnight air could be heard
Loud voices screaming in agony great.
"Oh, what is the matter?" you could hear someone shout;
The answer, "My house is on fire! Someone put it out!"
Breathless the mob ran to and fro like a scout,
Putting torches and destruction to all that come about.
In the still of night, as horrible as death,
Comfortless and homeless so many were left
Hungry and clotheless in their awful flight-
Dear God, it was terrible at the dead hour of night!
This lawlessness has buried Springfield's great name,
But I hope business will go on just the same,
With her car-load of officers with salaries to pay
Not able to control this city today,
And we must be disgraced with a riot.
This is something awful in this great land today,
Where everything is prosperous and making a way,
To think peace is disturbed by the low and degraded,
And impeding progress by standing in the way
With their torches and pistols, taking the day with a riot.
O whiskey! that great evil that is doing it all,
But that is no excuse, let them answer the call
Of the strenuous law that is made for all,
And they will come to the conclusion when they have a fall
To be law-abiding citizens and courteous to all,
And there will be no more riot.
One interesting feature of this poem might be the poet’s choice to emphasize not race, but the consumption of alcohol as a driving factor in the riots. (Indeed, historical accounts do suggest that the violence began at a bar, though there is a complex history involving an earlier incident from two years earlier that the poem does not really address.) Many writers from this period – especially writers who were women – were deeply concerned about the negative effects of alcohol consumption, specifically on family life in the Black community. Feminist writers like Frances E.W. Harper saw that violence against women and alcohol consumption often appeared to be linked, and as a result made “Temperance” an important part of their activism.
The incident described in this poem might be a smaller one relative to some better-known incidents of racialized violence that would occur a decade or more later (i.e., Tulsa, Rosewood, East St. Louis), but it had real and lasting impacts on the life of the city of Springfield, Ohio. While not many deaths were recorded (other than the lynching that took place in 1904, hundreds of Black Springrield residents were displaced and forced to relocate after their homes were burned; a number of businesses were also destroyed. Readers interested in learning more about this specific incident and its lasting impacts can read Jack Blocker’s essay here.
Incidentally, this event is not to be confused with the 1908 riot in Springfield, Illinois, which led to the creation of the Niagara Movement.
A third poem dealing with the legacy of systemic racism that stands out from this period might be Priscilla Jane Thompson’s “Address to Ethiopia”:
Priscilla Jane Thompson, "Address to Ethiopia," (1900)
Oh ill-starred Ethiopia—
My weak and trampled race!
With fathomless emotion,
Thy dismal path I trace.
Thy bright and stalwart, swarthy, sons,
Thy meek-eyed daughters, fair,
I trace through centuries by-gone,
Of misery and despair.
Thy fathers' fathers long were taught;
Nay, forced by tyrants, bold,
To worship at a mortal shrine,
With humble heart and soul.
So long hath slav'ry's blasting hand,
O'er thee its power swayed,
That now, though freedom sweet is thine,
I see thee cowed and dazed.
The sin is at thy tyrant's door;
The curse is at thine own;
And e'er shall rest upon thy head,
Till thou shalt cast it down.
Oh! rouse thy slumb'ring manhood, strong!
A foothold boldly earn;
And scorn thy brothers' patronage,
When he's thy fellow-worm.
Tear down those idols thou hast built,
In weakness to the proud!
Knowest thou that in thy blindness, deep,
Thou desecrate thy God?
Oh rise in union great and strong!
Hold each black brother, dear;
And form a nation of thine own,
Despite thy tyrant's jeers!
We need not reek in blood and groans,
This is a war within;
We need but conquer cow' ring self,
And rise a man with men.
What though our number may be few?
Hath not the Jews long stood,
In unions strong, 'mid myriads
Of foes, who craved their blood?
Then rise, oh fainting Ethiopes!
And gather up thy strength;
For by repeated efforts, strong,
Thou'lt gain thy grounds at length.
The same God hath created thee,
That did thy fairer brother;
Thinkst thou, that in His justice, great,
He'd prize one 'bove the other?
[Note: In this poem, "Ethiopia" does not refer to the actual country of Ethiopia. Rather, it is a euphemism for Black folks in the U.S.]
Here, Thompson begins with an account of the long centuries of enslavement and oppression. However, the main subject of her poem quickly becomes apparent, as the listener she is addressing is now free, but appears not to really realize that: "That now, though freedom sweet is thine, / I see thee cowed and dazed." The larger goal is solidarity and strength -- not meekness or acceptance of subjugation. This poem is written years before Black nationalist groups like the UNIA or the African Blood Brotherhood would emerge on the scene, but it expresses sentiments that many supporters of those movement would agree with: "And form a nation of thine own, / Despite thy tyrant's jeers!"