juxtaposing the black boy & the bullet

“say it with your whole black mouth” by Danez Smith (2018)

This poem is a rallying cry. It starts with a declaration that the injustices committed against the oppressed are not the fault of the oppressed. Smith struggles with their response to injustice and violence, and contemplates responding to hate and violence with hate and violence. Smith asks how long people will be hurt and hunted before acting against oppressors and hunters. This echoes sentiments by many Black leaders over the decades, including Malcolm X, who argued that a violent response was inevitable if change did not occur.

“the bullet was a girl” by Danez Smith (2015)

Similar to “juxtaposing the black boy & the bullet,” this poem takes up the issue of racial injustice and gun violence. This poem is a little more specific, though, as it directly takes on the claim that Black boys who are killed by guns deserved it or brought it upon themselves. Smith laments the reality of the bullet seemingly being destined for the Black body, and they wish for a world where the bullet was a girl instead. Here, Smith is advocating for love over violence. The second half of the poem uses slang to ground the poem’s concluding image in a tangible scene.

“The Ballot or the Bullet” by Malcolm X (1964)

Malcolm X’s most famous speech focuses on the power of the Black vote to enact change. However, Malcolm also argues that if political action does not lead to change, then violence may be inevitable. Malcolm advocates for Black separation, meaning Black ownership and control of Black neighborhoods and industry. Malcolm also advocates for Black ownership of guns as a means of protection. This speech provides an excellent resource for understanding from where some of the themes of modern social justice movements come, though it is important to understand that Malcolm is just one voice in a centuries’ long struggle.