SUMMERTIME - (and the living is easy...!?): Arzt, Poet and "NIGGER FOR LIFE"

Mit der Sommerserie "Summertime..." wollen wir ganz ohne viele Worte kurze Schlaglichter setzen auf interessante Menschen und Themen. 

Heute: Neal Hall, M.D. - Arzt und Poet

Dr. Nigger

Dr. Nigger

Can you cure me without
touching me with nigga hands

Can you save my life
without changing my life

Can you dance soft-shoe while
humming those negro tunes
when my white life codes blue

Can you reach inside yourself
beyond the shit we put in you…
past painful moments we put in you…
past despair and hopelessness
we’ve put in you and
find that old black magic in you
to save my life without changing
all the shit we put in you

Dr. Nigger

Can you breathe in me
air free of nigga
from a nigger not free
to breathe in free air

Can you stay on the colored side
of the color line and reach across
without touching me with nigga hands
to restart my blue heart without
changing my cold heart

Can you reach past the life
we’ve taken from you to
save my life and not
let white life pass me by

Dr. Nigger

save my life
without taking my life

Cure me without
touching me with nigga hands

Dance soft-shoe while
humming negro tunes
while you save my life
without changing my life
when my white life codes blue

Neal Hall, M.D., Copyright 2009

Tuesday Poet: Neal Hall, M.D. - theblackbottom
Author: drjelks/Theblackbotton

...Two notable and well respected minds best describe why Nigger For Life is important and timely: Cornel West, Ph.D., (Princeton University) said of the book “…his poetry has the capacity to change ordinary people’s philosophy on social and racial issues”. Beth Richie, Ph.D. (University of Illinois at Chicago) stated the “ … images and issues addressed in Nigger For Life are tremendously important to our [African American] people and the academic field of African American Studies”.
Nigger For Life’s candid, gut wrenching clarity gives it it’s tremendous power and impact to provoke both thought and honest dialog regarding race, racism, equality and freedom, not just in America, but throughout the world. The book’s unique ability to open minds, touch hearts and change philosophies of ordinary people is immeasurable.
The body of poetry is extraordinary … meaningful beyond black and white, worthy of – down through the ages – analytical and academic study for their compelling, empowering commentary. Nigger for Life should be read, studied and included amongst the great poetry volumes written.

Nigger for Life Book, Neal Hall, M.D., Poet
Homepage

...As a young boy, Dr. Hall was taught to believe Washington never told a lie, Lincoln freed the slaves; that the American dream was a reality well within the reach of every American. All he needed to do to make this dream a reality was apply himself: self motivation, discipline, hard work and education. After years of academic rigors, freshly minted from a Harvard ophthalmic medical and surgical subspecialty in tow, Dr. Hall discovered - painfully - that despite all his hard work, enthusiasm and drive, America does not deliver equally...

Please read the entire interview with Dr. Hall:
 ‘Nigger for Life’ « Caribbean Book Blog

Meet Dr Neal Hall.  A graduate of Cornell and Harvard University, he is an ophthalmologist and reactionary poet.
He recently published a critically acclaimed anthology of verse – Nigger For Life – reflecting his painful, later-life discovery that in “unspoken America” (despite hard work and drive) race is the yardstick by which he is “first” measured and judged; it is the benchmark against which his life and accomplishments are metered and thereby accorded diminished value, dignity and equality – all of which are indispensable in accessing choice, opportunity, power and freedom in America.
Nigger For Life reveals his deep sense of betrayal combined with his fervent passion for life and his desire for equality for “all”. His words pierce through in candid, gut-wrenching clarity. He bares his intelligence, wit and dreams....

Dr. Hall: ...And though we do not find ourselves toiling in cotton fields, we are, however, still on a color-coded exploitative plantation. A color-coded exploitation that, despite all that we may accomplish, reminds us of and puts us in our place. And in doing so, it limits our access to true freedom and equality, despite our advanced degrees.
In “unspoken America”, as in once  “spoken America” race is the one thing on which  black people are “first” judged, by which they are “first” measured “first”, against which their lives and accomplishments are metered diminished value, dignity and equality; all of which have everything to do with accessing true choice, opportunity, power and freedom.  In America, I am a surgeon and poet second. Black skin first.  America does not see white degrees when they look at me. They see a Nigger first and bring to that first look and all looks thereafter some measure of their negative, racial stereotypes/obstacles that limit my choices, opportunities, power and freedom....

...Don’t confuse education, voting, civil rights, etc. for freedom. They are not freedom. They are however, pieces of the puzzle that can distract us from or lead us to freedom. The latter only through the narrow corridor of economics (i.e. medium of exchange of power in the world). Education, voting rights, civil rights, etc. are tools to create our collective economic might. 
Regarding the question, I refer you to the following poems in my Nigger For Life Book: pages 12, 61, 123, 129, 176, 186, 211, 214,...

...We are too black, too poor and too oppressed to be concerned about political correctness or incorrectness with respect to our voices regarding and against racism and racial oppression. I see being labelled politically incorrect with respect to this issue as an imposition, a ploy, a censorship put upon our cries to be heard and an impediment to our pursuit of freedom.
It should never be politically incorrect for the oppressed to speak truthfully of their oppression lest we become politicians and our struggle, politics rather than the pursuit of freedom.
Regarding this question, I refer you to the following poems in my Nigger For Life Book: page 3, 8, 20, 42...

...This was not a referendum on improved race relations and tolerance in America. It was a referendum on how one man inspired disenfranchised people of color (particularly young black females) to turn out in record numbers to vote for what they believed to be real hope and change from the highest office in the land.
Our challenge is to create an operational plan of collective economics people of color can embrace and run to achieve freedom despite any one man or his color.
Institutionalized racism is deeply rooted in economic exploitation. It does not and will not end overnight, nor with the election of any Black man to the White House. America wants to give the world the impression of a happy ending to its African and Native American holocaust history....

...Indeed, I share Dr. King’s dream and wish for freedom and equality, not just for the Black man but all men, lest we become the oppressor of men ourselves. I am surely no lesser than any man but more importantly, I am no better than any as well.
On the other hand, I do not share Dr. King’s optimism in our “turning a cheek” in our fight for freedom for all men. There, I embrace more Malcolm’s – “by any mean necessary”. I caution you not to think from this that I advocate physical and property violence as an option. I do not !!! ...

...To freedom’s and equality’s end, we should direct our collective economics towards building a black self-sustaining, self-determining economic infrastructure that would empower us to free not just ourselves, but all men. To that end, I embrace and share the dream of Dr. King...

 Fotos: all Dr. Hall/Thank you! Danke!
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