11-10-2025, 08:57 PM
“Jeffersonian Gymnastics”
We hold these truths to be self-evident:
Colored folk just lack our white endowment.
Inferior in body and in mind,
Best housed apart, as Nature has designed.
Tyrant's blood feeds the tree of Liberty;
Slaves bear lashes in Roman dignity.
I proclaim all men to be my equal,
Yet my children are dark, skin like treacle.
They share my blood, but not my soul or name;
I claim their flesh, unmoved by guilt or shame.
I tremble, for God may be stern and just,
Yet trust He’ll wink at my familiar lust.
Some say I preach liberty whilst holding chains,
They don't know the dark races have no brains.
Our stern rule is kind, their lives a darkness,
So I sold fellow men in labour's harness.
Freedom spoke through me; The voice of others?
Bought by the silence of my brothers.
In God's book it is writ, "let slaves be freed,"
But let my chattel work, or let them bleed!
earlier version:
We hold these truths to be self-evident:
That Colored folk lack our white endowment.
Inferior in body and in mind,
Best housed apart, as Nature has assigned.
Liberty's tree is washed in tyrants’ blood,
While slaves bear lashes, as before the Flood.
Though I proclaim all men to be my equal,
Yet my own children are dark, skin like treacle.
I tremble, for God may be stern and just,
Yet trust He’ll wink at my familiar lust.
They share my blood, but not my soul nor name;
I claim their flesh, unmoved by guilt or shame.
Some say I preach liberty whilst holding chains,
But they just lack my noble white man’s brains.
They say my words were light, my deeds were darkness,
That I sold fellow men in labour's harness.
Freedom spoke through me; The voice of others?
Bought by the silence of my brothers.
In Fate's book it is writ, "men must be freed"
But let my chattel work, or let them bleed.
earlier version
We hold these truths to be self-evident:
That Colored folk lack our white endowment.
Inferior in body and in mind,
Best housed apart, as Nature has assigned.
Liberty's tree is washed in tyrants’ blood,
While slaves wear lashes, as before the Flood.
Though I proclaim all men to be my equal,
Yet my own child is dark, skin like treacle.
I tremble, for God may be stern and just,
Yet trust He’ll wink at my familiar lust.
We share blood, but my soul I don't observe;
To own them is the justice I deserve.
Some say I preach liberty whilst holding chains,
But they just lack my noble white man’s brains.
They say my words were light, my deeds darkness,
That I sold fellow men to labour's harness.
Freedom spoke through me: The voice of others--
Bought by the silence of my brothers.
In Fate's book is writ, "all men are to be freed;"
So let my chattel work, or let them bleed.
earlier version
“Jeffersonian Gymnastics”
We hold these truths to be self-evident:
That Black folk lack our white endowment.
Inferior still in body and in mind,
Best housed apart, as Nature hath designed.
The tree of liberty drinks tyrants’ blood,
While slaves drink lashes, and I call it good.
I proclaim all men to be my equal,
Yet my own child’s skin is dark, near treacle.
I tremble still that God is stern and just,
Yet trust He’ll wink at my familiar lust.
They bear my blood, but not my name’s reserve,
To own them is the justice I deserve.
They claim I preach of liberty holding chains;
But they just lack my noble white man’s brains.
They say my words were light, my deeds a shadow,
That I sold fellow men to labour’s gallows.
Freedom spoke through me: The voice of others--
My comforts built on weeping backs of mothers.
The earth belongs to life and not the dead,
So let my dark-skinned chattel bake my bread.
earlier version
“Jeffersonian Gymnastics”
We hold these truths to be self-evident
That Black folk lack our white endowment
Inferior still in body and in mind
Best housed apart, as Nature hath designed
The tree of liberty drinks tyrants’ blood
While slaves drink lashes, and I call it good
I proclaim all men to be my equal
Yet my own child’s skin is dark, near treacle
I tremble still that God is stern and just
Yet trust He’ll wink at my familiar lust
They bear my blood, but not my name’s reserve
To own them is the justice I deserve
They claim I preach of liberty holding chains
But they just lack my noble white man’s brains
They say my words were light, my deeds a shadow
That I sold fellow men to labour’s gallows
Freedom spoke through me: The voice of others
My comforts built on weeping backs of mothers
The earth belongs to life and not the dead
So let my dark-skinned chattel bake my bread
We hold these truths to be self-evident:
Colored folk just lack our white endowment.
Inferior in body and in mind,
Best housed apart, as Nature has designed.
Tyrant's blood feeds the tree of Liberty;
Slaves bear lashes in Roman dignity.
I proclaim all men to be my equal,
Yet my children are dark, skin like treacle.
They share my blood, but not my soul or name;
I claim their flesh, unmoved by guilt or shame.
I tremble, for God may be stern and just,
Yet trust He’ll wink at my familiar lust.
Some say I preach liberty whilst holding chains,
They don't know the dark races have no brains.
Our stern rule is kind, their lives a darkness,
So I sold fellow men in labour's harness.
Freedom spoke through me; The voice of others?
Bought by the silence of my brothers.
In God's book it is writ, "let slaves be freed,"
But let my chattel work, or let them bleed!
earlier version:
We hold these truths to be self-evident:
That Colored folk lack our white endowment.
Inferior in body and in mind,
Best housed apart, as Nature has assigned.
Liberty's tree is washed in tyrants’ blood,
While slaves bear lashes, as before the Flood.
Though I proclaim all men to be my equal,
Yet my own children are dark, skin like treacle.
I tremble, for God may be stern and just,
Yet trust He’ll wink at my familiar lust.
They share my blood, but not my soul nor name;
I claim their flesh, unmoved by guilt or shame.
Some say I preach liberty whilst holding chains,
But they just lack my noble white man’s brains.
They say my words were light, my deeds were darkness,
That I sold fellow men in labour's harness.
Freedom spoke through me; The voice of others?
Bought by the silence of my brothers.
In Fate's book it is writ, "men must be freed"
But let my chattel work, or let them bleed.
earlier version
We hold these truths to be self-evident:
That Colored folk lack our white endowment.
Inferior in body and in mind,
Best housed apart, as Nature has assigned.
Liberty's tree is washed in tyrants’ blood,
While slaves wear lashes, as before the Flood.
Though I proclaim all men to be my equal,
Yet my own child is dark, skin like treacle.
I tremble, for God may be stern and just,
Yet trust He’ll wink at my familiar lust.
We share blood, but my soul I don't observe;
To own them is the justice I deserve.
Some say I preach liberty whilst holding chains,
But they just lack my noble white man’s brains.
They say my words were light, my deeds darkness,
That I sold fellow men to labour's harness.
Freedom spoke through me: The voice of others--
Bought by the silence of my brothers.
In Fate's book is writ, "all men are to be freed;"
So let my chattel work, or let them bleed.
earlier version
“Jeffersonian Gymnastics”
We hold these truths to be self-evident:
That Black folk lack our white endowment.
Inferior still in body and in mind,
Best housed apart, as Nature hath designed.
The tree of liberty drinks tyrants’ blood,
While slaves drink lashes, and I call it good.
I proclaim all men to be my equal,
Yet my own child’s skin is dark, near treacle.
I tremble still that God is stern and just,
Yet trust He’ll wink at my familiar lust.
They bear my blood, but not my name’s reserve,
To own them is the justice I deserve.
They claim I preach of liberty holding chains;
But they just lack my noble white man’s brains.
They say my words were light, my deeds a shadow,
That I sold fellow men to labour’s gallows.
Freedom spoke through me: The voice of others--
My comforts built on weeping backs of mothers.
The earth belongs to life and not the dead,
So let my dark-skinned chattel bake my bread.
earlier version
“Jeffersonian Gymnastics”
We hold these truths to be self-evident
That Black folk lack our white endowment
Inferior still in body and in mind
Best housed apart, as Nature hath designed
The tree of liberty drinks tyrants’ blood
While slaves drink lashes, and I call it good
I proclaim all men to be my equal
Yet my own child’s skin is dark, near treacle
I tremble still that God is stern and just
Yet trust He’ll wink at my familiar lust
They bear my blood, but not my name’s reserve
To own them is the justice I deserve
They claim I preach of liberty holding chains
But they just lack my noble white man’s brains
They say my words were light, my deeds a shadow
That I sold fellow men to labour’s gallows
Freedom spoke through me: The voice of others
My comforts built on weeping backs of mothers
The earth belongs to life and not the dead
So let my dark-skinned chattel bake my bread