ID :
385651
Sat, 10/31/2015 - 07:39
Auther :

‘I use poetry to spread justice, inspire people’

Interview by: Lachin Rezaian TEHRAN, Oct. 31 (MNA) – American poet, activist and artist believes any people with any talent should work to spread justice and equality in the world. Amir Sulaiman, who attends the New Horizon Conference in Tehran for the second time, says the US is not a heaven for all races, as they claim. “It hasn’t been a heaven for the people from my race (Afro-Americans) for sure, it is a place that requires a lot of work to be done for the races to be able to live with freedom and justice and equality. So, that is what should be done in the US,” he says. Acclaimed poet Sulaiman believes any person with any talent must do something to show protest against racial discrimination in the US. “Any person gifted with something, it could be economic, political or cultural or whatever, can show protest, even a mother or a wife who stays at home.” “They can do anything to show hatred against black discrimination and racism. Mothers can raise children who think different, who may work against racism. Some people are good with money, they can provide economic freedom. People like me, can resort to poetry, language, culture, so I use that to spread justice and inspire the people and give people courage, but this is just one part to bring freedom and justice. There are many other ways every person can do to have a role in spreading justice in the world.” Answering the questions of Mehr News reporter on the sidelines of the third edition of Iran’s International New Horizon Independent Conference, African American poet Sulaiman expressed happiness he is in Iran for the second time describing it a wonderful place. He said, "Racism is a problem that affects everyone so the solution has to come from everyone and it begins in the hearts." He said Afro-Americans in the US are treated as if they are immigrants, “it’s like we are not American, they consider us the most dangerous people.” “It is our place, we have made our place. There is no origin for us to go back, here is our origin,” he underlined. He expressed gratitude over the holding of such an event in Iran calling it a unique event among Muslim countries. “It is a strange, wonderful, beautiful occasion where the people can come together with mutual respect.” During his presentation on the first day of the conference, he read an inspiring poem on Afro-Americans’ deplorable situation in the heart of racism in the US, which was released on October 15, 2013. Here is the words of his poem titled “Come to the Hills” (We Must Win): The dead won’t let me sleep The living won’t let me die in peace My heart filled with the yesterday that never happened My hands filled with my face My long breaths bleeding between my fingers I killed myself once But my lives are plural That’s why I can speak to the immoral like I’m immortal The mind is fertile Birth a verse with no epidural The truth hurts Speaking life into the dead as if it’s normal This is the lionhearted, the fire starter “The Sound and the Fury,” William Faulkner “The Color Purple,” Alice Walker “Canterbury Tales,” Geoffrey Chaucer Every people are sent a prophet But also every people are sent an imposter Likewise every people have been sent an author to tell their story This is a tale of what turns a man into a monster And what turns that monster into a martyr In the shadow of untold trauma The secret art of how to unfold karma And the divine unknown drama true in living We’re just trying to make Black history But it’s like they’re trying to make blacks history They won’t even write a eulogy for you and me Misery loves company But the company loves misery The company will co-op your story and sell your minstrel show in HD Our suffering seen more vividly Obviously niggas are NSFW They don’t wanna pay you, but peddle you Or just petty costs to settle you That’s why it’s hard to employ me But even harder to ignore me The irony isn’t lost on me How they make slaves of the masters of ceremonies Ha. Clever. Me? Never [...] The American Dream is a love song gone wrong A fantasy long gone But if you knew this And still wanna be a slave then you stupid and useless I’m gonna tell you straight [...] I’m Oscar Grant Still mourning Emmett Till I’m Emmett Smith no NFL Runnin’ and jukin’ it in the killin’ fields But them killin’ fields deadly enough to make Emmett still I admit still Shookin’ up every time I see Emmett’s grill Until my molars spark and I taste battery acid Maybe that’s too drastic Maybe I’m overreacting Maybe seeing dead babies shouldn’t phase me But it does It does It does Are we not flesh and bone? Are we not minds and souls? Are eyes either blind or closed As if we don’t see As if we don’t know They’ll kill you! They’ll kill you They’ll kill you like it’s no Biggie No Diddy While we arguing over who the king of New York City They emasculate the greats Bye Black Panther, Hello Kitty Or slowly assassinate the greats Goodbye, Whitney You can see the future if you learn history I’m speaking to you straight and right They got you leaning right like 450 Where the wealth, weed, and women have you chasing dimes Wasting time Wait Wealth, weed, women Chasing dime- Wow That’s a triple double entendre and alliteration in the same damn time Oh okay so the Sufi can rhyme Can we not have another conversation about your top 5, dead or alive? Instead can we talk about the top 1% and the bottom ninety-nine? Or the wise 5% and the deaf, dumb, and blind eighty-five? Or how the circle-seven and the one-twenty saved our lives? On the boat with Jesus’ name Lucifer came And then proof of our name went poof, David Blaine Disappeared between the noose and the chains Euthanasia introducing the youth to the cane So we singing We rapping Attempts to reducing the pain We don’t know what else to do with the pain We don’t know what else to do with the pain They say, “Rap for us!” And then they clap for us Are you not entertained? Standing on my brother's body Are you not entertained? Carrying my son’s carcass Are you not entertained? But even with all the battery and the abuse We are still so beautiful Our babies are like balls are of light Bright enough to brighten the darkness of the battle field But when I look into my daughter’s face it reminds me that there is a battle still And that the battle’s real That a draw is a win for losers We Must Win The truth is when I said the sky is mine By mine I meant I and I By I and I, I meant you and I The sky is ours Heaven’s fallen We either fly or die We Must Win We have died so many times They have killed us so many times We have died so many deaths We have died for everyone We have died for everything We have died for nothing We are done with death We are done with death We will not die another day We are the true and living and We Must Win Amir Sulaiman is a poet, recording artist, activist and newly appointed Harvard Fellow, born in Rochester, New York. His poems cross subjects of love, tragedy as well as what it means to reconcile humanity with the unprecedented trials of modernity. He has performed his works across the US as well as many other countries including England, Belgium, Senegal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Australia, Iran and the Netherlands, and continues to tour world-wide. His recently published book of poetry, Love, Gnosis & Other Suicide Attempts met with critical acclaim, in addition to his latest album "The Opening," the third in a unique trilogy project, following "The Meccan Openings" (2011) and "The Medinan Openings" (2012).

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