The Last Poets’ Understand What Black Is
Earlier today, I was on the phone discussing a future article with Abiodun, one of The Last Poets. I mentioned to him I had, earlier in the day, read on Facebook that Jericho Brown had won a Pulitzer Prize for poetry for his collection “The Tradition”. As the conversation continued Abiodun mentioned in passing that The Last Poets and Poet Rita Dove, last year, had been invited to The 50th Rotterdam Poetry Festival 2019. He then went on to described how his poem “Understand What Black Is” was performed and how the audience responded. I asked him if he wouldn’t mind writing a brief description of The Last Poets’ experience accompanied by a sixty-six member orchestra. It begins below.
“Here’s the poem “Understand What Black Is”and how I experienced reciting it at The 50th Rotterdam Poetry Festival 2019.
“The event was the 50th Rotterdam Poetry Festival 2019. I had previously been asked by the head of the Philharmonic Orchestra if I would permit him to orchestrate my poem “Understand What Black Is“. I was surprised that this was the poem he had chosen to highlight at the festival. I originally wrote the poem in an effort to dispel all of the negative things that have been said about Black. The poem had just been released on The Last Poets’ album entitled “Understand What Black Is”. I initially had been surprised that our record producer decided to make this poem the title of the new album. As time went on, I began to see the significance of the poem and why it had become so popular. The Last Poets have been around for fifty years, but we had never collaborated with an orchestra to present a poem.
The next day after our arrival in Rotterdam, we had a rehearsal with a sixty-six member orchestra. Because of my earlier experience as a member of All-City High School Chorus, I felt comfortable about working with a full orchestra. My partner was a bit intimidated. Rehearsal went well and then we had interviews. The festival is truly international. Poets from all over the world are there to share their poetic talent. The feature poem of festival 2019 was our poem “Understand What Black Is”. The hall was packed and the reverence shown to each artist was special. When I walked on stage to do the poem, the applause was a lot more than I had expected. I sometimes forget just how popular The Last Poets have become.
I recall while I was reciting the poem it was so quiet. You could feel people were really listening. I felt that the orchestra and I along with the two other members of the group had done a reputable job, but I did not expect the standing ovation that followed. A number of interviews took place after and a lot of CDs were sold. I personally felt good about writing something that could have such a positive impact considering how negative Black had been viewed in the past. I will always have fond memories of that moment. It was almost as if the poem had come to life in Rotterdam. In the poem I say “Black is not a color, it is the basis of all colors. It is not complexion it is a reflection of all complexions called human.” I must say for the week we were there, I had an outstanding human experience.”
Understand What Black is
Understand black
Understand what black is
The source from which all things come
The security blanket for the stars
Understand what black is
It is not a color
It is the basis for all colors
It is not a complexion
It is the reflection
Of all complexions called human
And out of this blackness
Passion flows like a river
Feelings tell the truth
Song and dance
And making you laugh
Are family members
Understand what black is
The breath you breathe
The sweat on your brow
The cheers and the tears
Balancing the world on your head
Faith is the glue
That holds it all together
This is your blackness
Not some horror story
Of lost souls drifting
Into a land of perversion
Blackness is love
Is a light shinning on a path
Leading to the sun
Or caressed in the bosom of the moon
Understand what black is
Power you must yield to
A force so strong
We try to sleep it away
A jolt to your circuits
That say you must be electric
And plugged into the sockets of the world
Black is humanity
That beautiful chord
On a twelve string guitar
That makes you smile
That offers comfort
In turbulent times
Provides food
When there’s nothing to eat
A shelter when there’s no where to live
Black is humanity
Making hope stand tall and not wilt
Because black knows
Did it before
Tested by fire
Washed in the waters of life
Black is hot
Black is cool
Black is wise
And could never be a fool
Understand what black is
Black is a hero not a villain
Black is the essence
Sealed with a kiss
Black is the stone
We build our dreams on
A shadow at evening’s mist
Bigger than reality
Blending into the night
To let the sun chill
And watch the stars dance
In rhythm to the music in our souls
Abiodun