"We demands a chance to do things for ourself/we're tired of beating our head against the wall/and workin' for someone else" - James Brown (I'm Black and I'm Proud, 1968)
1968, I was 6 years old, and I remember this song. I remember my parents, whites from the Ozarks, reacting to it... good people, but completely unable to appreciate James Brown's signing, or the lyrics to his song. (skip to bottom to play Brown's music video)
The hardest working man in show business had a lot in common with the hardest working people in the electronics reuse and repair business. I speak to people who are afraid to sell to these techs of color. They would be ashamed, they say, if the clients knew they were trading to Africa.
Color and shame?
Say it loud.
The trip to Africa is not like my trips to China in 2002 and 2005. This time, I already have the photos, I already have the records. This time I'm not going to "investigate", to be the great white savior. Been there, ashamed of that. This time I'm going to meet friends of my friends.
Uh, with your bad self
Say it louder (I got a mouth)
Say it louder (I got a mouth)
Look a'here, some people say we got a lot of malice
Some say it's a lotta nerve
I say we won't quit moving
Til we get what we deserve
We've been buked and we've been scourned
We've been treated bad, talked about
As just as sure as you're born
But just as sure as it take
Two eyes to make a pair, huh
Brother, we can't quit until we get our share
1968, I was 6 years old, and I remember this song. I remember my parents, whites from the Ozarks, reacting to it... good people, but completely unable to appreciate James Brown's signing, or the lyrics to his song. (skip to bottom to play Brown's music video)
And now we demands a chance To do things for ourselves we tired of beating our heads against the wall And working for someone elseHow can people be anything but proud to do business with these technicians of color in Ghana? How low can we possibly stoop to defend the prison sentence of Joseph Benson for selling gently used electronics goods to these smart people in these markets?
The hardest working man in show business had a lot in common with the hardest working people in the electronics reuse and repair business. I speak to people who are afraid to sell to these techs of color. They would be ashamed, they say, if the clients knew they were trading to Africa.
Color and shame?
Say it loud.
The trip to Africa is not like my trips to China in 2002 and 2005. This time, I already have the photos, I already have the records. This time I'm not going to "investigate", to be the great white savior. Been there, ashamed of that. This time I'm going to meet friends of my friends.
Uh, with your bad self
Say it louder (I got a mouth)
Say it louder (I got a mouth)
Look a'here, some people say we got a lot of malice
Some say it's a lotta nerve
I say we won't quit moving
Til we get what we deserve
We've been buked and we've been scourned
We've been treated bad, talked about
As just as sure as you're born
But just as sure as it take
Two eyes to make a pair, huh
Brother, we can't quit until we get our share
