Nikki Giovanni gives the Beautiful Black Men their flowers.
Beautiful Black Men is from Nikki Giovanni’s second
self-published volume of poetry entitled “Black Judgement.” Which
was also printed as a poster accompanied by art in 1969.
You can also listen to the spoken word rendition of the poem. On
the album “Legacies: The Poetry of Nikki Giovanni.”
Beautiful Black Men
(With compliments and apologies
to all not mentioned by name)
i wanta
say just gotta say something
bout
those beautiful beautiful beautiful outasight
black
men
with
they afros
walking
down the street
is the
same ol danger
but a
brand new pleasure
sitting
on stoops, in bars, going to offices
running
numbers, watching for their whores
preaching
in churches, driving their hogs
walking
their dogs, winking at me
in
their fire red, lime green, burnt orange
royal
blue tight tight pants that hug
what I
like to hug
jerry
butler, wilson pickett, the impressions
temptations,
mighty mighty sly
don’t
have to do anything but walk
on
stage
and i
scream and stamp and shout
see new
breed men in breed alls
dashiki
suits with shirts that match
the
lining that complements the ties
that
smile at the sandals
where
dirty toes peek at me
and i
scream and stamp and shout
for
more beautiful beautiful beautiful
black
men with outasight afros