Thursday, December 31, 2009

Being Born Again Part 3

"Now let's talk 'bout de hearts o' de people 'round us. Dey have de hearts o' white folks and dey have hearts full of wonder, too. 'Cause dey have de hearts o' white folks, 'cause o' de color o' dey an 'cause o' where dey live, deir hearts in Clarendon County, de hearts o' white folks ever'where in de Jim Crow south, are like de hearts o' Pharoh an' de 'gyptians in Egypt a long, long time ago."

"Dat same book o' Exodus in de Bible dat tells us 'bout de hearts o' de Jewish folks tells us dat de heart o' Pharoh an' de hearts o' most o' de 'gyptians was hard. De Pharoh an' de 'gyptians knowed de hearts o' de Jewish folks was in mis'ry an' was cryin' out on 'count o' deir task masters, dey knowed de hearts o' de Jewish folks was suff'rin', dey knowed dey was oppressin' de hearts o' de Jewish folks, an', even dough dey knowed dese t'ings, dey didn't offer no balm fo' de mis'ry an' suff'rin, dey didn't open deir ears to hear de cryin', dey didn't care. Dey hardened deir hearts, an' deir hearts was as hard as de Clarendon County ground after a month wit' no rain. Dey hardened deir hearts an' deir hearts was hard."

"An' de book o' de lives o' white folks here in Clarendon County an' all over de Jim Crow south tells de story dat de hearts o' white folks is as hard as was de hearts o' white folks is as hard as was de hearts o' Pharoh an' de 'gyptians in Egypt. Dey ain't off'rin no balm fo' our mis'ry an' suff'rin, dey ain't op'nin' deir ears to hear our cryin', dey don't care. Dey hard'nin' deir hearts an' deir hearts are hard."

"Dey know our chil'ren walk miles an' miles to an' from school ever' day but dey don't offer no buses to ease deir little, calloused feet, dey don't offer no buses like de white chil'ren have in dis county - dey ain't off'rin no balm fo' de mis'ry an' suff'rin'. Dey hear dat most o' our chil'ren done lef' school by de sixth grade an' 1/3 o' dem cain't read or write - dey ain't op'nin' deir ears to hear de cryin'. Dey won't offer us loans to he'p our farms survive, won't share deir harvesters wid us to get our crops in, but will fire us from our jobs when we stand up and speak out ag'inst dis injustice - dey hard'nin' deir hearts an' deir hearts are hard. Deir hearts are hard like de hearts o' Pharoh an' de 'gyptians, hard like de hearts o' all de folks who have oppressed other folks throughout hist'ry up to dis day, hard like de hearts of all de opressors to come."

"But deir hearts are full o' wonder. Deep inside o' deir hearts dere is dat pecu'lar thin' dat sep'rates livin' people from dead people, dat pecu'lar thin' dat makes it possible fo' dem to soften deir hearts an' become more human."

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