Opposites - The Last Poets

Understand, said the old black man

that everything works in opposites

The sun and the moon, left and right

Hot and cold, black and white

Understand, said the old black man

who is the opposite of you

Understand

so that you will know what you have to do Understand

that black is true and false is white

Understand

that black is right and white is wrong

Understand

that white is weak and black is strong

Understand

that white is suffocation and black is a deep breath

Understand

that black is life and white is death

Understand

that blacks will live in glory while whites will die in shame

Understand

that blackness is reality and whiteness but a game

Understand

that blacks were here first and will be here last

Understand

that whitey steals your future and lies about your past

Understand

that before we were sold as slaves

the black man walked in temples of glory

while the white man crawled in caves

So understand, young black man

who is the opposite of you

Understand

so that you will know what you have to do Understand

that black is the beginning of white’s end

Understand

that whiteness is your enemy and blackness is your friend

Understand

the height and weight of your mental depth

Understand

that you’re the original man as quiet as it’s kept

Understand

that blacks will rise and whites will fall

Understand

that white equals nothing and black equate all

Understand

that our climate is hot and theirs is cold

And you are young and I am old

But all lies die when the truth is told

So understand, young black man

who is the opposite of you

Understand

so that you will know what you have to do Understand

that black is love and white is hate

Understand

why our freedom cannot wait

Understand

that white is war and black is peace

Understand

that black is beauty and white the beast

Understand

that black is happiness and white is sorrow

Understand that I was a slave yesterday

But you’ll be free tomorrow

And the second after Before

The minute after Before

The hour after Before

The day after Before

The week after Before

The month after Before

The year after Before

The decade after Before

The century after Before

The eternity after Before

you understand what it means to be a free black man