The Good Negro Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

The good Negro in decades gone,
In times not that long ago...
Was the one who best performed,
With obedience and pride...
To do done to hide,
Any attempts to become belligerent...
To obvious restrictions and limits.
They may or may not,
Defy and protest against.
Or...
Display an intelligence shown to make known,
To those with turned up noses...
Told to be made convinced,
Good Negros knew and accepted their places.
Knowing themselves to be beneath other races.
With reminders of this on a daily basis.

The good Negro in decades gone,
In times not that long ago...
Has today embraced being called 'Black'.
Or African-American.
As if seeking approval or acceptance of that.
But what still remains as the same unchanged,
Are those who still perceive...
Being Negro, 'Black' and/or African-American,
Is an identity to defend.
With kept wishes deeply hidden,
To be born in a different color of skin.

The good Negro in decades gone,
In times not that long ago...
Is still undecided in a mind left divided,
As to which life to live as best as one can.
And done to do positive.
With a dignity to pride a kept identity to feel,
Inside and outside to show...
An acknowledgement of that connection to accept.
And with a self respect shown,
Growing up through each stage proud to reveal...
A less pretentiousness to defend or condon.
But a doing done to honor one's ancestry.

And this without question,
Should always be kept respected.
Be one a Negro, Black or a protesting...
African-American praying for an identity,
To be welcomed and accepted.
With a doing done first amongst themselves.