Controversial Poem Puts 7-Year-Old On Hot Seat

CrimsonTide4 · #1 03-14-2006, 07:08 AM

http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/60921.htm

http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_072172005.html (shows video of Autum)

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?se...ols&id=3989316 (video footage as well)

Excerpt from NY Post article:

A 7-year-old prodigy unleashed a firestorm when she recited a poem she wrote comparing Christopher Columbus and Charles Darwin to "pirates" and "vampires" who robbed blacks of their identities and human rights.
Hundreds of parents of Peekskill middle- and high-school students received a recorded phone message last week apologizing for little Autum Ashante's poem, titled "White Nationalism Put U in Bondage."

"Black lands taken from your hands, by vampires with no remorse," the aspiring actress and poet wrote. "They took the gold, the wisdom and all the storytellers. They took the black women, with the black man weak. Made to watch as they changed the paradigm of our village.

"Yeah white nationalism is what put you in bondage. Pirates and vampires like Columbus, Morgan and Darwin."

Autum was invited to speak at the Westchester schools on Feb. 28 by Melvin Bolden, a music teacher at the middle school who advises the high school's Black Culture Club and is a member of the Peekskill City Council.

Autum, whose résumé includes several television appearances and performances at the Apollo Theater and the African Burial Ground in Manhattan, told The Post that her poem was meant to instill pride in black students and to encourage them to steer clear of violence.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with my poem. I was trying to tell them the straight-up truth," Autum said. "I'm trying to tell them not to fight because they're killing the brothers and sisters."

Autum, who is home-schooled in Mount Vernon and speaks several languages, prefaced her performance at the high school with a Black Panthers' pledge asking black youngsters to not harm one another.

What do you all think? Did she go too far?

AlphaFrog · #2 03-14-2006, 08:17 AM

Honeykiss1974 · #3 03-14-2006, 08:36 AM

No, I don't think she has gone to far. Her topic isn't something new. There are people that have said that for years and years. I think the "shock" comes from the fact that this is a 7 year old as opposed to an adult.

CrimsonTide4 · #4 03-14-2006, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Honeykiss1974
No, I don't think she has gone to far. Her topic isn't something new. There are people that have said that for years and years. I think the "shock" comes from the fact that this is a 7 year old as opposed to an adult.

Exactly. Out of the mouths of babes

mulattogyrl · #5 03-14-2006, 08:47 AM

Hayle no she didn't go too far. She said what she had to say, that's all.

Boom_Quack13 · #6 03-14-2006, 09:32 AM

WHOA!!!!

She may be the first 7-year-old to be put on the FBI's list of interesting people. lol

I love this kid. I think I want to buy her a pony.

CrimsonTide4 · #7 03-14-2006, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Boom_Quack13
WHOA!!!!

She may be the first 7-year-old to be put on the FBI's list of interesting people. lol

I love this kid. I think I want to buy her a pony.

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can see Soror Nikki Giovanni calling her up like dayuuuuuuuuuum girl.

StarFish106 · #8 03-14-2006, 09:56 AM

And a child shall lead them....

AlphaFrog · #9 03-14-2006, 09:59 AM

I'm saddened that, with little girls thinking like this, yet another generation will go by and we'll still no be any closer to closing the racism gap.

Boom_Quack13 · #10 03-14-2006, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by CrimsonTide4
LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can see Soror Nikki Giovanni calling her up like dayuuuuuuuuuum girl.

Ya know! LMAO!!!!

Boom_Quack13 · #11 03-14-2006, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by AlphaFrog
I'm saddened that, with little girls thinking like this, yet another generation will go by and we'll still no be any closer to closing the racism gap.

That's not true. All this little girl did was tell it like it is.

I'm saddened that with people, like you, trying to pretend this stuff doesn't exist, that racism will continue to fester.

Don't shoot the messenger. Call out the offenders of racism, not those who expose it.

ladygreek · #12 03-14-2006, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by AlphaFrog
I'm saddened that, with little girls thinking like this, yet another generation will go by and we'll still no be any closer to closing the racism gap.

The truth sometimes hurts, doesn't? Or is it more that you did not expect a 7 year old to be this aware of what has happened and is still going on, just clothed differently?

Dionysus · #13 03-14-2006, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Boom_Quack13
That's not true. All this little girl did was tell it like it is.

I'm saddened that with people, like you, trying to pretend this stuff doesn't exist, that racism will continue to fester.

Don't shoot the messenger. Call out the offenders of racism, not those who expose it.

Right on.

mccoyred · #14 03-14-2006, 10:56 AM

TRUTH is an absolute defense!

FeeFee · #15 03-14-2006, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by CrimsonTide4
Exactly. Out of the mouths of babes

Amen, Amen, Amen!!!!

@ BoomQuack: I'll gladly chip in on the pony.