by Barbara Pierce

Created on: May 05, 2009   Last Updated: May 07, 2009

BLACK IN THE DAY

I remember when back in the 70s television was a cultural education. Commercials, sitcoms and musical programs exploited our nature. It seems like television was always in the background sounding off an urban motivation communication. The TV exposure for black people were very limited, but I still paid attention to the lifestyles we adopted by watching how the media displayed our way of living (ghetto), and I will sum it all up in a poetic style.

i remember when i was a poet,

back then, when...

welfare was a way of living

sex was a sin

and santa claus, a friend ?

then

i was black and proud

james brown was singing loud

jesus christ was hanging

and the word was war

gil scott heron preaching

"the revolution will not be televised "

hot pants, halter tops

and afro wigs

disco fever

superfly

give me five, on the black hand side

i bet you don't know

curtis blow

john doe

give me some more

ree-fer...

negro please

black eye peas, food stamps

it's the first of the month

baby crying

momma please

don't hit me no more

i'll sleep on the floor

kool aid, kool aid

taste great,

wish i had some

can't wait.

winston taste good

like a cigarette should

one, two, three... red light

uptight outa sight

i'll walk a mile for a camel

kiss my ass

i love you too

digging in the scene with the

gangster lean

pork and beans

black power

soul sister

ain't to proud to beg

before elvis was dead

ku klux klan

martin luther king

president kennedy just got shot

aunt Jemima's head still wrapped

jackson five

saturday night live

riots in the watts

racism ?

say it loud

i'm black and i'm proud

bell bottoms

coney island

double dutch bust

ready or not

here i come

rum and coke

and dirty jokes

my momma's boyfriend

ple-ase

my grandma and your grandma

was sitting by the fire

my grandma told your grandma...

i had a dream about fish last night

bright, damn near white

gold teeth, bare feet

record player

nigga hate-r

if you holler

let em go

eeny, meeny, miny mo

joe

i don't need you

any more

what's going on ?

platform shoes

singing on the corner

drinking wine

having a good time

fine

segregation

education

motivation

communication

back then

remember when ?

peace...

The 70s was an experience that television only could edit for entertainment. You actually had to live the 70s to understand the reality of black experiences of which television is during a much better job today.

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