K.N.O.W.L.E.D.G.E. Youth Organization

STRONG PEOPLE

FROM THE DARKEST DEPTH OF HELL WE EXCEL.

WE STRIVE LIKE JUSTICE ON THE LIBERTY BELL.

WE STAND STRONG LIKE JERICHO’S WALL,

BUT WHEN THEY BLOW THE HORN WE WILL NEVER FALL.

EVEN WHEN TO OUR PEOPLE MANY THINGS ARE DONE WRONG,

LIKE THE WORD GOD WE WILL ALWAYS STAY STRONG.

A RACE THAT WITH STANDS THE TEST OF TIME FOREVER,

WE SHALL OVERCOME ALL ODDS TOGETHER.

 WHAT ABOUT THE FEW WHO FOUGHT FOR US ALL,

THE GIANT, THE TITANS, THOSE WHO STOOD TALL.

PEOPLE WHO WENT AN EXTRA MILE OUT OF THE WAY,

PEOPLE WHO MADE SURE TOMORROW WOULD BE A MUCH BRIGHTER

DAY.

PANTHERS AND POLITICIANS WHO ROARED WITH A PENETRATING THUNDER, FOUGHT FOR OUR PEACE AND LEAD REVOLUTIONS,

STRIVING FOR THE SAME GOAL WITH ULTIMATE SOLUTIONS.

THEY LOCKED UP HEWEY AND BOBBY

AND TOOK DR.KING OUT ON THE BALCONY,

JUST FOR WALKING THEY GOT STOKLEY

AND SHOT KENNEDY IN FRONT OF JACKIE.

WE KNEW THAT MALCOLM WOULD BE NEXT,

WHEN ONE OF OUR OWN SHOT X,

IF IT WEREN’T FOR THEM, WHERE WOULD WE BE?

I THANK GOD EVERYDAY THAT THEY FOUGHT THE WAR FOR ME.

BY: BRANDON DECLOUET

POEM #8

2/19/01

As seen through the eyes of a 9 year old African American Male

 Miles Heights in 1942, a 2000 unit home wartime construction style, (Projects).The location was the corner of 131st Miles Avenue.

The railroad trolley cars were running from 131st Miles all the way to downtown Cleveland and back. The guard rail for the train was manually operated by a three shift guard post. It was a vibrant ethnic community, Hungarians, Polish, German and Slovenians.

On the southwest corner of 131st Miles, you would find a drug store, medical center, Tom McCann shoe store, Buster Brown shoe store and National City bank. On the southeast side you would see Ohio Savings and Loan bank and Woolworth department store. Just keep north 131st street you would find two movie theaters, the Corlett Theater and the Avalon Theater. Many businesses, hardware stores "Havies" a dry good store many of the items sold there were for children. Men's clothing store (Haberdasheries'), donut ahops AND MUCH MORE. Many small businesses were alive and vibrant.

THEN CHANGE CAME.

As the African Americans moved into the community the ethnic community began to leave. Not just because of fallen business, this was only a few at that time. It was because of inherited prejudice place upon the young children. I find that a person is not born prejudice but is given these emotions from ones family. As I grew older  and I entered high school at John Adams the negative behavior had reached the classroom. When I first arrived at John Adams it was predominatly, Jews, Hungarians, and Italians.

The businesses had begun to change. Many became store front churches, (one on every corner). Barber shops and Beauty salons started to develop. Many of the businesses folded and the homes became abandoned dilapidated. The banks and theaters became churches. A once vibrant community with a coffee shop opening at 6:00am, donuts 10 cents each, banks, clothing and shoe stores and theaters now lives only lives in the mind of a 74 year old man Elmore Buford who once lived in MILES HEIGHTS.

               "The “N” word"

The “N” word is a strong word, but most young black people feel that

 the “N” word is nothing.  They feel that it is another word for buddy

or friend.  Then there are young people that are young and take the

word to another level.  Everyone have different concepts for the word.

There are older blacks that lived in the 50’s to the 70’s that take

the word personally, because they lived with racism.

There is no real meaning to the word. The meaning of the word is

 what we make it. The person who made the word imprisons the black

people and put them down. The “N” word came from a painful word to

a friendly word to most blacks. It became like that because the old

 shows, music artist and mainly comedians used the word like it didn’t

 mean anything to people in those days. Then there are some blacks

that don’t like it when white people say it.  Some whites use the

word because the black people allow them to say it, so they feel its

ok to use the word.

Young black people might never experience racism like older folks

have. So if they come across something like racism or someone tells

them about their history, they might change the way they look at

the word or in a different perspective.

There are some black people that don’t really know what the

 word nigger or nigga mean.To me I think the word nigga or nigger

is nothing.  I think it is nothing because I have never felt threaten

 by the use of the word.  I know it is not a good word to say, but I’ve

been around the word almost all my life.  So if some white person

says the “N” word it wouldn’t mean anything. All I would do is tell

them that it is disrespectful to say the word around me. 

I think black people are getting stronger against racism, but

the meaning of the word nigger is getting weak.  I think everyone,

should not forget the word but know what it really means.

That’s what the “N” word mainly mean to me.

                                                                              James Ducre

                                                                                                      K.N.O.W.L.E.D.G.E. Youth Organization

                                                                                                 12/18/06

HOW COME ?

 HOW COME I GET NO RESPECT?

IS IT BECAUSE I LOOK LIKE A SUSPECT?

HOW COME AT ME THEY ALWAYS LOOK DOWN?

IS IT BECAUSE IM NOT FROM AROUND THIS TOWN

HOW COME THE POLICE ALWAYS F#$% WITH ME?

IS IT BECAUSE MOST CRIMINALS LOOK LIKE ME?

HOW COME THEY ALWAYS FOLLOW ME WHEN I

GO IN THE STORE?

IS IT BECAUSE THEY THINK I’LL STEAL

SOMETHING AND WALK OUT THE DOOR?

HOW COME THEY CANT TREAT ME LIKE A BROTHER?

IS IT BECAUSE MY SKIN IS THE COLOR OF

ANOTHER?

HOW COME THEY THINK I'M DUMB?

IS IT BECAUSE I SAY HOW COME?

BY:BRANDON DECLOUET

POEM # 9

2/24/01

IF YOU JUST BELIEVE

My mother and father moved into the Union Miles area in 1969. I was 13 years old. My parents believed that by moving in this area we should have the best education. It was a quick ride to any store and gets anything that was needed for the house and for the family. The homes around us were beautiful and big. We had a long front yard. In the fall all the leaves would fall and it was fun diving into them, not thinking about the danger of falling on a stick and getting hurt. We were able to walk to school right down the street. We would come home, do our homework, and eat dinner (all together at the table). We then could go outside and play “Kick the can”, “Hide and Seek”, “Hop Scotch”, and don’t forget “Jump Rope”. Then street light would begin to come on. We knew it was time to run and make it home or we would be in trouble. We would come home, sit around the television together or would read funny stories to each other. That was the best time of my life. Then 1973 came, everything changed. I began to only see my mother late at night or maybe early in the morning. Trying to get my brothers and sisters to come in the house became a battle. I found myself getting up at 5:00am to get to school on time because my little brother was bused to the Cleveland’s Westside School. I had to feed my baby brother and little sister, get them dressed, and then get myself to school. My mother did not get home until 3, maybe 4 o’clock in the morning. You see, my father died and that left only my mother to take care of the bills. The only good paying job was out in the suburbs, and we did not have a car. The bus transit was our only transportation. A lot of people began to lose there jobs and homes. East blvd became Martin Luther King Jr. BLVD. The number ten buses to the Hippodrome Theater had come to a close. Life became a struggle. When we first came into this community, there were only three other blacks on the block. Now there are only two whites. All that was beautiful is hard to find because of lose of tradition. Perhaps it will change. I don’t know when but a change is about to come.

If you just believe.

 Sign: Anonymous