Beautiful Black Men

I found this poem to be very important to my research for it shows the opposite side of what I am trying to find answers to. The fact that Nikki Giovanni talks so highly of Black Men in this poem and focuses on the positive aspects of the beautiful Black Men, it still seems that she has to reference the hardships that they once faced. The whole poem is dedicated to the beauty of being Black and then their is one line in the first stanza that lets the reader know that the speaker is aware of the hardships but it seems that she tries to cover them up while emphasizing the positive aspects of being Black.

Beautiful Black Men
by Nikki Giovanni
(With compliments and apologies to all not mentioned by name)

i wanta say just gotta say something
bout those beautiful beautiful beautiful outasight
black men
with they afros
walking down the street
is the same ol danger
but a brand new pleasure

sitting on stoops, in bars, going to offices
running numbers, watching for their whores
preaching in churches, driving their hogs
walking their dogs, winking at me
in their fire red, lime green, burnt orange
royal blue tight tight pants that hug
what i like to hug

jerry butler, wilson pickett, the impressions
temptations, mighty mighty sly
don't have to do anything but walk
on stage
and i scream and stamp and shout
see new breed men in breed alls
dashiki suits with shirts that match
the lining that compliments the ties
that smile at the sandals
where dirty toes peek at me
and i scream and stamp and shout
for more beautiful beautiful beautiful
black men with outasight afro

Since the Earliest of Times

Since the earliest of times African-Americans have lived with hardships.....

This is a song that would have been sung by these slaves.

Wade in the water (children)Wade in the waterWade in the waterGod's gonna trouble the waterIf you don't believe I've been redeemedGod's gonna trouble the waterI want you to follow him on down to Jordan stream(I said) My God's gonna trouble the waterYou know chilly water is dark and cold(I know my) God's gonna trouble the waterYou know it chills my body but not my soul(I said my) God's gonna trouble the water(Come on let's) wade in the waterWade in the water (children)Wade in the waterGod's gonna trouble the waterNow if you should get there before I do(I know) God's gonna trouble the waterTell all my friends that I'm comin' too(I know) God's gonna trouble the waterSometimes I'm up lord and sometimes I'm down(You know my) God's gonna trouble the waterSometimes I'm level to the groundGod's gonna trouble the water(I Know) God's gonna trouble the waterWade in the water (children)Wade out in the water (children)God's gonna trouble the water

The Hardships of African-Americans

http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1463139

This website is about the hardships that African-Americans indeed have faced between 1864 and 1954. I believe that the reason African-Americans include so much hardship is because of the many struggles they faced for so long.

Do you agree or disagree?

Poet Research Paper

I had to do a research paper on a poet of my choice and I chose, Nikki Giovanni. It was our job to connect the poet's life to their works. Nikki Giovanni is an African American poet. Researching her was a direct link to my essential question. Being an African American poet in her poems she exhibits the hardships and suffering that I see common in many works by African American writers.