GoSetaPhire

From the volume of Poetry entitled “Black Judgement.” “Poem for Black Boys” was the only poem in the volume written in 1967.

H. Rap Brown was a member of NAG (Non-violent Action Group). Chairperson of the SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee), and for a brief time, The Minister of Justice for the BPP (Black Panther Party).

Burn Baby Burn was a poem written in 1965 by Brother Marvin X. A Revolutionary Poet, a Revolutionary Playwright, a Revolutionary Essayist, and a Revolutionary Scholar. An affiliate of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. Featured in the April Is Poetry Month Celebration, “Year of the Big Black Cat.”

Poem for Black Boys 

(With Special Love to James)

Where are your heroes, my little Black ones

You are the Indian you so disdainfully shoot

Not the big bad sheriff on his faggoty white horse

You should play run-away-slave

or Mau Mau

There are more in line with your history

Ask your mother for a Rap Brown gun

Santa just may comply if you wish hard enough

Ask for CULLURD instead of Monopoly

DO NOT SIT IN DO NOT FOLLOW KING

GO DIRECTLY TO STREETS

This is a game you can win

As you sit there with your all understanding eyes

You know the truth of what I’m saying

Play Back-to-Black

Grow a natural and practice vandalism

These are useful games (some say a skill is even learned)

There is a new game I must tell you of

It’s called Catch The Leader Lying

(and knowing your sense of the absurd

you will enjoy this)

Also a company called Revolution has just issued

a special kit for little boys

called Burn Baby

I’m told it has full instructions on how to siphon gas

and fill a bottle

Then our old friend Hid and Seek becomes valid

Because we have much to seek and ourselves to hide

from a lecherous dog

And this poem I give is worth much more

than a nickel bag

or a ten cent toy

And you will understand all too soon

That you, my children of battle, are your heroes

You must invent your own games and teach us old ones

how to play