From Whence We Came

By Ingrid Green Adams

It is very important to know who you are and to know where you came from in your past in order to know where you are going in your future.

It is my hope that you will take the time to review the issues of our nations past andcompare them to the current issues of today. Somehow they are exactly the same arent they?

My question to you is how come these issues still remain the same?
Take the challenge, read this book and learn about my peoples struggles FROM WHENCE WE CAME.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 6, 2014
• ISBN: 9781493154524

Ingrid Green Adams

ABOUT THE AUTHOR INGRID GREEN ADAMS is a published author, motivational speaker, instructor, Teacher and owner of Green’s Consulting Company. She has published several books

Book preview

Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

SECTION ONE

Who Am I?

I Am The Darker Brother

Is You Da One?

Black Like Me

Da Colored Child

The One That Got Away

A Man Without A Country

I Am A Man

I Am The Product Of Shattered Dreams

A Tribute To The Stolen Child

I Am A Rousseau

SECTION TWO

Who Do I Belong To?

I Am The Slave’s Mother

I Like The Skin I’m In

The Slave Child

Gotta Run For My Race

Come Lil Children Come

A Child Of Da King

How Long Must They Cry?

A Mighty People

What’s In A Name?

I Belong To Papa Frank And Gradma Alice

SECTION THREE

Where Did I Come From?

No R.S.V.P.

My Body Bees Weary But My Soul Shall Endure

Sing Chillun Sing!

When Less Was More

Give Me Ma Mule… Nah Send Me Away

I May Bend But I Will Never Break

I Write To Release The Pain From Whence We Came

A Loss Ball In High Grass

Ma Sweet Jesus

From Luling To St. Rose: A Tribute To The Late Frank And Alice Rousseau

SECTION FOUR

Where Am I Going?

Will There Ever Be Justice For Just Us?

They Give You No Glory But Wait For The Story

You Can Make It If You Just Try

I Got A Right To Write

We Made Do Till We Got Through

The Best Is Yet To Come

You Lil Stinker You Never Had It So Easy

Our Time Has Come

I Be Trulee Free (Part II)

Gone Up To Glory: Long Live The Rousseau Family

Conclusion

Acknowledgements

This book has truly been a labor of love and I thank God for its completion.

He has allowed me the ability to share our past with you as a gift of knowledge for the Present so that it may become a gift of wisdom for our future.

At the end of each section the last poem has been dedicated to my family.

With that said, this entire book has been dedicated to my family, the Rousseau family as

They are the people I belong to.

As for you my faithful readers, thanks for all of your continued support.

I hope you will feel the same,

Because I truly enjoyed sharing my thoughts to you from whence we came!

ENJOY!!!

Introduction

While I was in school I was told if you don’t know your past you are doomed to repeat it, Henceforth, the thought for this book was born and entitled FROM WHENCE WE CAME.

I have always wanted to write about my experiences in life from a historical stand point as a Black women in America.

While this book may be entertaining I am hoping it touches your soul deep down inside and challenges you to express your thoughts about some of the same controversial issues we still face today as individuals, as a race, and as a nation.

I promise after reading this book you won’t feel the same. No, not about our people of color FROM WHENCE WE CAME.

HAPPY READING!

SECTION ONE

Who Am I?

I Am The Darker Brother

I am the darker brother so tried and so true,

I am the darker brother, always beaten and left broken by you.

I ask myself the question why Lord? Why is it always me?

Can anyone tell me? Can’t anyone just anybody see?

That I never asked to come here, no, I never ever did,

Just got stuck here like my father before me when he was a kid.

I just don’t understand why you hate me, what did I ever do to you?

My only crime is living within this dark skin, yes, I’m the darker brother who,

Get in all the trouble, yes, that’s me, as you lock me up and hall me away,

Most of the time without even knowing my circumstances without hearing a word I have to say.

That’s it, you have it all figured out already, it’s the dark one, yah, you,

Hold up, what happened to a fella being innocent till proven guilty, for me, that’s not true,

That’s right, for me the darker brother it has never been this way,

Because the powers that be won’t allow it, seems they want things to stay,

That’s right, the more they talk freedom for all the less the darker brother can find,

It’s very hard growing up in the world when you are not allowed to have peace of mind.

You don’t understand it, no, simply can’t understand it you see,

That’s right because you are not the darker brother, the darker brother, yes, like me.

You may say that you understand but how can you, really? Now tell me so,

If you have never been denied your dignity of being a man now just let me know,

When that truly happens to you,

Then and only then will you be able to feel my hurt and pain too,

But until then, please don’t even try to say you understand,

And please don’t patronize me by trying to pat me on the head and hold by hand,

Because certainly I know I am the darker brother, you still cannot understand.

Why is it? Here I go; I’ll ask this question again,

Why is it that you just won’t allow the darker brother to be treated as men?

Oh yah, you say we are equal, but you and I both know that’s not how you truly feel,

Because if it were so you wouldn’t follow me around in a store checking to see what I would steal.

Does this bother me? HELL YES, it certainly does, wouldn’t it bother you?

Oh, I’m sorry, you will never have that experience, that’s right, we already knew,

That’s right, we are not slow, we understand white privilege baby,

You say it doesn’t exist, but as the darker brother, I live it, and see it happening every day to me,

As I get picked up, tossed around and placed on the ground again,

As I get pulled over by another outstanding officer of the law when,

I’m just going about my business, driving while black you see,

When all of a sudden, bright lights appear and a vehicle starts chasing after me,

For what? I say what did I do? I’m not bothering anyone,

The officer says to me step out of the vehicle son.

Guess what? If I don’t, you know what will happen to me?

So I have to go along with your program for all eternity.

The more things change the more they seem to stay the same,

You only change the wording of things, that’s right, merely changed the name.

What was once called slavery was then called share cropping and now freedom and equality,

Well, I fail to see the difference, because really there is no difference for me.

The darker brother is still beaten and broken and tossed away,

Just like we were during slave days and still no one has a word to say.

That’s right, what’s right about it? Well, it’s all wrong you know,

If that’s freedom and equality please wake up Martin and Malcolm and tell them so.

These brothers died years ago searching for a dream of a better life for me,

But it seems like your folks still want the darker brother to hang from a tree.

Yes, I said the more I live the more I can see,

Just how far we have come along or simply looking at things, have we?

I know we have brothers doing it big in business and even holding public offices now too,

But still no one has stopped to really address the problem of the darker brother who,

Has been the one that built this nation, yes, our great red, white, and blue,

Now why can’t we stop the madness and just have a clue?

As to what may seriously be ailing the darker brother like me,

Could it be because no one ever stops to take me seriously?

Well, I have a mind, a soul, and I am somebody, and I matter, I truly do,

Because without me mister your whole