to the National Football League a breakup letter seeing is the strongest
breakup letter seeing is the strongest
breakup letter seeing is the strongest of teachers it has taught me where your
of teachers it has taught me where your
of teachers it has taught me where your heart has always been Charles Dickens
heart has always been Charles Dickens
heart has always been Charles Dickens great expectations first memories begin
great expectations first memories begin
great expectations first memories begin at four or maybe five my first memories
at four or maybe five my first memories
at four or maybe five my first memories of you are letters encapsulated in caps
of you are letters encapsulated in caps
of you are letters encapsulated in caps ins on a floor model television screen
ins on a floor model television screen
ins on a floor model television screen and wanting to find meaning in them and
and wanting to find meaning in them and
and wanting to find meaning in them and I’m pretty sure I loved you first before
I’m pretty sure I loved you first before
I’m pretty sure I loved you first before I learned to read before I learned terms
I learned to read before I learned terms
I learned to read before I learned terms like femme fatale or unrequited love see
like femme fatale or unrequited love see
like femme fatale or unrequited love see my love for you precedes the Sesame
my love for you precedes the Sesame
my love for you precedes the Sesame Street have fun with reading books
Street have fun with reading books
Street have fun with reading books before Hooked on Phonics was a thing
before Hooked on Phonics was a thing
before Hooked on Phonics was a thing before Dick and Jane before Huck Finn
before Dick and Jane before Huck Finn
before Dick and Jane before Huck Finn met Tom Sawyer before lions and witches
met Tom Sawyer before lions and witches
met Tom Sawyer before lions and witches and wardrobes before Charles Dickens and
and wardrobes before Charles Dickens and
and wardrobes before Charles Dickens and Alexander Dumas and the Red Badge of
Alexander Dumas and the Red Badge of
Alexander Dumas and the Red Badge of Courage a British version before I read
Courage a British version before I read
Courage a British version before I read plays like The Merchant of Venice or the
plays like The Merchant of Venice or the
plays like The Merchant of Venice or the tempest or the crucible before that
tempest or the crucible before that
tempest or the crucible before that crucial time spent reading Langston
crucial time spent reading Langston
crucial time spent reading Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou rhymes on a lime
Hughes and Maya Angelou rhymes on a lime
Hughes and Maya Angelou rhymes on a lime green floor pillow in my aunt honey’s
green floor pillow in my aunt honey’s
green floor pillow in my aunt honey’s library summer 1985 I was enamored with
library summer 1985 I was enamored with
library summer 1985 I was enamored with you before I fell in with the chestnut
you before I fell in with the chestnut
you before I fell in with the chestnut haired girl on Short Street before sweet
haired girl on Short Street before sweet
haired girl on Short Street before sweet cocoa moved in next door with her raven
cocoa moved in next door with her raven
cocoa moved in next door with her raven hair and eyes and her
hair and eyes and her
hair and eyes and her accent in her adoration for white
accent in her adoration for white
accent in her adoration for white t-shirts and water pistol fights this
t-shirts and water pistol fights this
t-shirts and water pistol fights this was before super soakers were invented
was before super soakers were invented
was before super soakers were invented this was before the door-to-door
this was before the door-to-door
this was before the door-to-door salesman circumvented my father’s penny
salesman circumvented my father’s penny
salesman circumvented my father’s penny pinch and inch the world of encyclopedia
pinch and inch the world of encyclopedia
pinch and inch the world of encyclopedia britannica into my life one volume at a
britannica into my life one volume at a
britannica into my life one volume at a time you were the reason a 9:00 p.m.
time you were the reason a 9:00 p.m.
time you were the reason a 9:00 p.m. bedtime on Monday night was akin to
bedtime on Monday night was akin to
bedtime on Monday night was akin to torture and if Church was a meal in a
torture and if Church was a meal in a
torture and if Church was a meal in a pew you were a barbecue and chocolate
pew you were a barbecue and chocolate
pew you were a barbecue and chocolate cake and six kinds of ice cream on the
cake and six kinds of ice cream on the
cake and six kinds of ice cream on the picnic table while seated next to the
picnic table while seated next to the
picnic table while seated next to the Jesus Christ himself and the Lord God in
Jesus Christ himself and the Lord God in
Jesus Christ himself and the Lord God in heaven my multiplication tables started
heaven my multiplication tables started
heaven my multiplication tables started with seven by the age of seven I knew I
with seven by the age of seven I knew I
with seven by the age of seven I knew I loved you you were Lynn Swann and John
loved you you were Lynn Swann and John
loved you you were Lynn Swann and John Stallworth and tiny hotdogs smothered in
Stallworth and tiny hotdogs smothered in
Stallworth and tiny hotdogs smothered in barbecue sauce at my Nana’s house on
barbecue sauce at my Nana’s house on
barbecue sauce at my Nana’s house on Super Bowl Sunday 1980 you were Tony
Super Bowl Sunday 1980 you were Tony
Super Bowl Sunday 1980 you were Tony Dorsett crazy 99-yard run on my parents
Dorsett crazy 99-yard run on my parents
Dorsett crazy 99-yard run on my parents black-and-white on a Monday night when I
black-and-white on a Monday night when I
black-and-white on a Monday night when I was supposedly asleep in bed you are the
was supposedly asleep in bed you are the
was supposedly asleep in bed you are the reason my cousin’s still call me a
reason my cousin’s still call me a
reason my cousin’s still call me a traitor for abandoning the Dallas
traitor for abandoning the Dallas
traitor for abandoning the Dallas Cowboys as a teenager and you were there
Cowboys as a teenager and you were there
Cowboys as a teenager and you were there before those late-night sneaks across
before those late-night sneaks across
before those late-night sneaks across town to see that girl on Short Street
town to see that girl on Short Street
town to see that girl on Short Street and you were there before not-so-sweet
and you were there before not-so-sweet
and you were there before not-so-sweet coco broke my heart into a thousand
coco broke my heart into a thousand
coco broke my heart into a thousand pieces a thousand reasons to believe I’d
pieces a thousand reasons to believe I’d
pieces a thousand reasons to believe I’d never love anyone again
back then you were Coco’s honey skin
back then you were Coco’s honey skin clinging to that t-shirt I could only
clinging to that t-shirt I could only
clinging to that t-shirt I could only see your curves not your parallels my
see your curves not your parallels my
see your curves not your parallels my own a brown skin this nation’s
own a brown skin this nation’s
own a brown skin this nation’s beginnings
beginnings
beginnings overseers in the grandstands playing
overseers in the grandstands playing
overseers in the grandstands playing fields and field hands draft combines
fields and field hands draft combines
fields and field hands draft combines and slave auctions black bodies made
and slave auctions black bodies made
and slave auctions black bodies made commodity niggas for lease but love is
commodity niggas for lease but love is
commodity niggas for lease but love is blind love can’t fix anything like duct
blind love can’t fix anything like duct
blind love can’t fix anything like duct tape or wd-40 or
tape or wd-40 or
tape or wd-40 or Tony D and Herschel Walker in the same
Tony D and Herschel Walker in the same
Tony D and Herschel Walker in the same backfield at the same time you were
backfield at the same time you were
backfield at the same time you were Barry Sanders dancing feet stealing my
Barry Sanders dancing feet stealing my
Barry Sanders dancing feet stealing my heart and my allegiance and my
heart and my allegiance and my
heart and my allegiance and my allegiance to you pushed its way through
allegiance to you pushed its way through
allegiance to you pushed its way through field goal kicking pedophiles
field goal kicking pedophiles
field goal kicking pedophiles dogfighting rings chronic traumatic
dogfighting rings chronic traumatic
dogfighting rings chronic traumatic encephalopathy domestic abuse but that
encephalopathy domestic abuse but that
encephalopathy domestic abuse but that had happened this brother took a need
had happened this brother took a need
had happened this brother took a need for me and I see you he took a knee from
for me and I see you he took a knee from
for me and I see you he took a knee from me seven times more likely to be shot by
me seven times more likely to be shot by
me seven times more likely to be shot by the police he took a knee from me and I
the police he took a knee from me and I
the police he took a knee from me and I can’t unsee it I can’t unsee te it
can’t unsee it I can’t unsee te it
can’t unsee it I can’t unsee te it he took a knee to save my life it was
he took a knee to save my life it was
he took a knee to save my life it was never about stars or stripes or the
never about stars or stripes or the
never about stars or stripes or the military or the national anthem with its
military or the national anthem with its
military or the national anthem with its unquestionably racist unsung third verse
unquestionably racist unsung third verse
unquestionably racist unsung third verse he took a knee to end the curse of
he took a knee to end the curse of
he took a knee to end the curse of public schools to prison pipelines
public schools to prison pipelines
public schools to prison pipelines longer sentences for same crimes redline
longer sentences for same crimes redline
longer sentences for same crimes redline tactics going back decades before this
tactics going back decades before this
tactics going back decades before this brother was even born
brother was even born
brother was even born he took a knee for Michael Brown for
he took a knee for Michael Brown for
he took a knee for Michael Brown for Tamir rice for laQuan McDonald for
Tamir rice for laQuan McDonald for
Tamir rice for laQuan McDonald for Walter Scott for Freddie gray
Walter Scott for Freddie gray
Walter Scott for Freddie gray he took a knee and he don’t get to play
he took a knee and he don’t get to play
he took a knee and he don’t get to play yeah I see you black bodies brutalized
yeah I see you black bodies brutalized
yeah I see you black bodies brutalized for the wealth and entertainment of the
for the wealth and entertainment of the
for the wealth and entertainment of the ruling class this beautiful one-handed
ruling class this beautiful one-handed
ruling class this beautiful one-handed attention grab fit for mass public
attention grab fit for mass public
attention grab fit for mass public consumption Sunday dinner background
consumption Sunday dinner background
consumption Sunday dinner background music
music
music Monday morning conversation-starter
Monday morning conversation-starter
Monday morning conversation-starter Monday night’s fantasy heartbreak see
Monday night’s fantasy heartbreak see
Monday night’s fantasy heartbreak see only white folks get to be Patriots
only white folks get to be Patriots
only white folks get to be Patriots so I finally see the face of it or
so I finally see the face of it or
so I finally see the face of it or better yet I see exactly where your
better yet I see exactly where your
better yet I see exactly where your heart is at you are that beautiful
heart is at you are that beautiful
heart is at you are that beautiful dangerous creature you are a Honolulu
dangerous creature you are a Honolulu
dangerous creature you are a Honolulu Blue Notes you are
Blue Notes you are
Blue Notes you are Hail Mary lacking grace you are Arthur
Hail Mary lacking grace you are Arthur
Hail Mary lacking grace you are Arthur Miller’s Abigail you are Estella – my
Miller’s Abigail you are Estella – my
Miller’s Abigail you are Estella – my pip you are Edmunds
pip you are Edmunds
pip you are Edmunds White Witch and I’m looking for a bridge
White Witch and I’m looking for a bridge
White Witch and I’m looking for a bridge but all I’ve got is 32 rich white men
but all I’ve got is 32 rich white men
but all I’ve got is 32 rich white men and women collectively selectively
and women collectively selectively
and women collectively selectively silencing an uppity black man and
silencing an uppity black man and
silencing an uppity black man and blinders on that can’t filter out this
blinders on that can’t filter out this
blinders on that can’t filter out this truth and I only wish it was as simple
truth and I only wish it was as simple
truth and I only wish it was as simple as telling you goodbye see my family
as telling you goodbye see my family
as telling you goodbye see my family loves you they love watching every tale
loves you they love watching every tale
loves you they love watching every tale you spin but like the man said seeing is
you spin but like the man said seeing is
you spin but like the man said seeing is the strongest of teachers it has taught
the strongest of teachers it has taught
the strongest of teachers it has taught me where your heart has always been
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
[Music]
[Music] [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
”
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