The King and Three of His Followers

Luders Allen

July 2011
© Copyright 2011




Once upon a time there was a king in his palace. He ruled as an iron fist, and had no remorse and shame. All he loved and cared about was his absolute power he possessed. One night, the king had a warningly scary dream. The next morning, he woke from sleep, and had been trying hardly to remind the dream and could not. He had spent the entire day in trying to remember that dream; unfortunately he could not… So, early evening, he called three of his followers and expected for one of them to describe his dream….

The three followers knew it was impossible for them to describe their king’s dream. Therefore, in their mind they knew that their fate is to face execution.

While the king sat on his beautifully precious garment chair with his diamond crown on his head and wore a gold and velvet ornamental robe, he called the first follower and said,

“I had an horrible dream last night, which is tormented my mind. I woke this morning and I had been trying my best to remember that dream and I could not recall a thing in it. It is ruined my entire day. I want you to describe that dream for me and I know you can.”

“Your majesty, it is with great respect I wish I could describe your dream. This would be my utmost pleasure to do anything for my king. Your majesty, unfortunately, I can’t and I don’t want to lie to you. As you know, your majesty, I will never lie to you,” the follower replied in crying to the king.

“How dare you deny my request? Come on take him to the chamber!!!” the king said to his guards.

The king called the second follower and said to him,
“I had an horrible dream last night, which is tormented my mind. I woke this morning and I had been trying my best to recall that dream and I could not remember a thing in it. It is ruined my entire day. I want you to describe that dream for me and I know you can.”

Now, the second follower saw how by being honest was the cause that drove the first follower into death row. In order to save his life, he decided to describe a dream-made story to the king.

“Your majesty, it is with great pleasure I am about to describe your dream for you. Ok, your majesty, here is the dream:”

As soon as he was about to describe the dream, he was interrupted and stopped by the king.

“You are a fool and a liar. How do you want me to believe and trust you? If you can have the audacity to stand before me in pretending you are describing my dream for me…, you have the courage to plot against my monarch as well. Come on guards, take that fool away from my sight and take him to the chamber!!!” the king said angrily.

Now, the third follower witnessed two horrible examples, which left him with no choice at all. He neither could be honest nor being a fool to the king.

“I don’t know what I am going to say to the king when I am called. Being honest I will still face execution. Being a fool I will still face execution. Therefore, my only choice is to be honest to the king,” the third follower whispered.

The king called the third follower and demanded him to describe his dream.

“I had an horrible dream last night, which is tormented my mind. I woke this morning and I had been trying my best to recall that dream and I could not remember a thing in it. It is ruined my entire day. I want you to describe that dream to me and I know you can,” the king said to the third follower.

“Your majesty, from the bottom of my heart, I don’t have the courage to lie to you. I wish I possessed god’s power to be able to describe your dream or others although I were not the dreamer of the dream,” the third follower replied to the king.

“How dare you deny my request? Come on take him to the chamber!!!” the king said angrily to his guards. “Now, I want you to release the two followers that were honest with me. And the fool that was trying to describe my dream, I want him to be executed. He is not someone to trust.”



Power is always taken for granted. Also, it is best to apply dignity, pride and honesty at the core of any circumstances.

Little Piggy and His Mom

Luders Allen

April 2008
© Copyright 2008




Little Piggy has so often heard negative remarks on him and his Mother’s natures and physical appearances, thereby he loses his self-esteem and dislikes himself and his Mom. So, as Little Piggy is young and yet not understand what real life is all about, his Mom is training him so as to build up his self-esteem and also to accept his existence. Eventually, as time has gone by and Little Piggy gotten older, he becomes to love and accept himself the way he is.

“GWEN, GWEN, GWEN, GWEN, GWEN, GWEN, GWEN!!!!” Little Piggy’s Mom was squealing while eating the grasses….

“Mom, how does your voice sound so funny?” Little Piggy asked his Mom.

“Ah, son, let me concentrate on whatever I could find to eat in the field,” Little Piggy’s Mom replied.

“Mom, I want to know Mom!” Little Piggy answered.

“Son, it is yet too soon for you to understand my nature. When you grow up, you are going to be just like Mom,” Little Piggy’s Mom said. “Ah, look at you now son, you are getting big!”

“Really, oh no Mom, just like you I am getting…” Little Piggy replied.

“Son, it seems like you don’t love yourself. Son, let me tell you this: you have to love yourself the way you are. God creates you and I and others like us this way and God loves us all. Son, from now on, I want you to love yourself, promise?” Little Piggy’s Mom said to Little Piggy.

“Mom, I love the way you talk to me. No one has ever talked to me this way before. People are always making bad remarks on our nature and physical appearance. This is why I have never believed and loved myself. Now, you make me love and proud of myself,” Little Piggy replied.

“Never mind about bad things people are saying about you. In life, it is easier for people to say bad things on others than good things. The best thing is to love yourself and others [even those who always make bad remarks on you]. Always love yourself no matter what. Once you believe and love yourself, people’s bad remarks on you will not affect your life and individuality. The way you see yourself that’s the way others see you,” Little Piggy’s Mom said. “WOW, look at my son, you are Big Piggy now. You are not Little Piggy, anymore. I am proud of you, son, for being who you are. I love you!”

“Oh yes Mom, now, I am just like you: big ears, big-squealing voice, big flat-long nose (snout), fat etc., and I love myself the way I am. Thank you so much Mom for making me accept and love the way I am. I love you, too, Mom!” Little Piggy replied his Mom.




How building up one’s self-esteem and making one feels good habitually about himself or herself are so important in life! Never mind about bad remarks people are making on you. If you believe in those remarks, they just become reflections on you. The way you see yourself, that’s the way others see you. Believe in yourself and others will soon believe in you.

Chimp, Hyena and Lion

Luders Allen

April 2008
© Copyright 2008




Above the Kapok tree, Chimp was sitting on top on a late afternoon eating fruits. Meanwhile a very hungry Hyena was at hunt and saw Chimp above the tree sitting and eating fruits, so he started looking up at her. As Hyena could not climb the tree, especially Kapok tree is one of the tallest trees in the world (he wished he could because he was starving to death), he stationed beneath the tree and kept looking up at Chimp. Each fruit Chimp consumed, she dropped the seed below the ground.

Hyena said murmuringly, “Oh Lord! Oh Lord! Oh Lord! Why doesn’t she come down instead. She keeps dropping, dropping, dropping…the fruit’s seeds below the ground, which I have nothing to with them, oh God.”

Eventually, in such a manner Hyena was so eager to see Chimp came down off the tree, he began to develop some mimic strategy.

“Chimp, you’re dropping your fruits. Why don’t you come down to pick them up?” Hyena said in a very charming and docile voice.

“HAH, HAH, HAH, HYENA, YOU’RE CRAZY. DO YOU THINK I WOULD DROP MY SWEET FRUITS JUST LIKE THAT ON THE GROUND. YOU MUST BE OUT OF YOUR MIND. I AM DROPPING THEM DOWN BECAUSE MY JAW IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO BREAK THE SEEDS. SO, YOU DO WHATEVER YOU WANT WITH THEM,” Chimp replied loudly in a manner of mockery.

“Chimp, now are you making fun out of me? You don’t need to raise your voice on me. I am just so concerned about your meal you are throwing away because I know how challenging it is to get some meal in this region,” Hyena said.

“Hyena, since when you were so concerned about me and my meal? Remember, you had my Mom and my brother for dinner,” Chimp answered.

“No, Chimp, not me! I don’t eat meat anymore. I have been a vegetarian for the last 3 years,” Hyena said.

“Ah, ah, ah, that’s right, it must be you who had my Mom and my brother for dinner. That happened 4 years ago,” Chimp replied.

“Chimp, my mistake, I mean I have been a vegetarian for the last 5 years,” Hyena said.

“You fool! It’s not me you are going to have for dinner today. You are going to get something else, fool!” Chimp whispered.

“Chimp, what did you say? I didn’t hear what you said,” Hyena said.

“No, I am not talking to you, Hyena, I am just talking to myself,” Chimp replied.

“Apparently, I heard you say you are not the one I am going to get for dinner today….?” Hyena said.

“Hyena, if you already heard what I said, why do you need to ask me for?” Chimp answered.

“Chimp, calm down! You don’t need to be so rude with me. I am just on your own interest and I don’t see why you are acting in such a manner!” Hyena said.

“Hyena, since when you used to be on my interest, Listen, Hyena, don’t give me that crap, ok!” Chimp replied.

“You see, you are upset with me for no reason,” Hyena said.

“Hyena, I am not upset with you. You are just making yourself looks like a fool before me,” Chimp answered.

“Chimp, that’s right you say to me!” Hyena said in a very sweet voice.

“If she dares coming off the Kapok tree, I swear I am going to have her for dinner just like I did to her Mom and her brother. And I am very sure I would enjoy having her for dinner more than her Mom and her brother. Because as she is very young, her flesh must be tender and juicy,” Hyena whispered.

“Hyena, you think I do not hear what you said. You know I have sensitive hears. Anyway, you are not going to have me for dinner today,” Chimp replied.

Hyena gave to Chimp praising after praising in the most convincingly flattering manners to see if she would come off the tree. Ah, nothing worked out. So, amid the course of the praising and the confrontation, far away, a grumbling noise was arising. However, from time to time, the noise was sounding louder and louder. Meantime, Hyena was carefully listening to the arisen noise and had been very vigilant. In the end, the noise just burst and sounded like a thunder above the sky: WOOH, WOOH, WOOH, WOOH, WOOH, WOOH, WOOH, WOOH!!!

“OH CHIMP, IT’S A LION. I HAVE TO GO!!! I HAVE TO GO!!!” Hyena said.

Now, Chimp began to realize something was not normal and right. Therefore, Hyena was not what Chimp thought he was.

“Come on Hyena! Despite we’ve been disagreeing in many things, but you are so enjoyable to talk to. Why do you want to leave now? Chimp replied.

So now, Chimp quickly realized Hyena was afraid of the Lion and began making a mockery of Hyena’s present situation. She learned that Hyena would not dare to face a male lion. Also, in this situation, Chimp didn’t have to worry about the Lion. She knew that despite lion could sometimes climb a tree, but not this very tall tree. Since Chimp was on top of the Kapok tree where the Lion could not reach her, Therefore, she knew safety was on her advantage.

“YOU’RE CRAZY CHIMP. ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? I AM NOT GOING TO MESS WITH THE KING OF THIS REGION, ESPECIALLY MALE LION. I HAVE TO GO CHIMP!!! I HAVE TO GO CHIMP!!! BYE, BYE!!!” Hyena said while fleeing.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaah life, I thought I was the only one who was afraid of something, alas…!” Chimp whispered.



In life, there’s always something new to learn, and also there’s always a superior or a stronger force than another.

...Without a Land

(Dedicated to every Haitian within and abroad)

Luders Allen

February 2010
© Copyright 2010



Trees of mine are cut, from me, away.
The rain scarcely falls to showing my
Yams, plantains, potatoes, rice-lily.
The beautiful birds that used to fly
Singing, me-yup, above the wide sky,

Me-yup, me-yup, me-yup, me-yup, yup.
Now, come no more to pause on top
Of my tree’s boughs to sing me, me-yup.
My fresh-salted fishes I ate up
With my yams, potatoes…and syrup

Tea corns are, now, nowhere to be found
Since the ocean is infirm. My old
Comrades whom I trust and so depend
On all aspects ‘ my Life, I declare/d
To represent me, so now turn and

Betray me. Thus make me one man-slaves.
My old comrades sell me and my lands
To strangers and leave me nothingness.
The rest, deep ‘ my land, they bury mines.
At any moment, if not ‘ cautious,

I might be gone, ‘ver, no trace of me.
I live without knowing my existence.
Sometimes, ‘ wonder, am I still alive…?
My land’s already an empty one
With no real name. So, am I, too, one!

Hurricanes passed by, ravaged and destroyed
The nothingness that I had. I cried,
But my crying was ignored. I screamed,
But the echo of my screams bounced
Back at me… I screamed out loud, out loud!!!

My screams condemned me. My land’s ‘ready
Empty as a desert. A whacky
Quake passed and buried my lovely
Comrades alive, leaving ‘hind: city
Of Utopian. I cried, but slimly

Tears run down… I screamed, but it seemed as
Bunch-Murmurs. I left my land ‘cause its
Emptiness and turmoil of all sorts.
Here I’m…in a land, not mine which is.
Tomorrow, if the landowner asks

Me to leave, What will I do? Will ‘ do
Since I have no land? Where will I go,
If the landowner asks me to go
Back home, to my land? What will I do?
What will I do? Where, where will I go…?

A Storm in a Small Town

Luders Allen

March 2008
© Copyright 2008




The day as dark as
The night,
The wind whistles
Through the barns,
The houses,
The trees and
The rain.
The river is in
Town,
The debris and
The ghosts are forged
To wave good-bye.
The river rests over
Town.
The debris and
The ghosts are laid and danced smoothly in
Town.
The day as dark as
The night,
The wind whistles
Through the barns,
The houses,
The trees and
The rain.

Heaven

Luders Allen

July 2001
© Copyright 2001



Heaven is where
I inhale the blossoms
Of nature.

I see the sky is clear
As crystal and blue
As indigo.

The ocean is the sky
Where birds sing and
Fly above

On earth, all kind of people laugh,
Smile and touch, without harm,
One another.

Heaven is where
I inhale the blossoms
Of nature.

I see the sky is dark, full moon,
Shiny stars and the ocean is
The sky.

On earth, all kind of people laugh,
Smile and touch, without harm,
One another.

As night goes into peace, I hear
The crickets chirp and dream
Heaven’s dreams.

Down and Up / Up and Down

Luders Allen

July 2007
© Copyright 2007



Amid the Savannah,
The metallic circle
Lies down there fierily,

At pinpoint. There, a deep
Black poplar’s sighing and
Murmuring just for a

Sip of gray cloud or white cloud
To be grown. It’s at the stage
Of its last breath. It stoops,

But refuses to go
Back where it was once came
From. Gray cloud or white cloud

Always hears its murmur
And its sigh and falls for
its savior.

Lamentation

(Dedicated to Haiti)


Luders Allen

April 1998
© Copyright 1998



You keep shooting and burning me
For your own sake and pleasure.
You keep shooting and burning me
For greediness and power.

Can’t you see before your eyes
And your conscience, I am sick?
I am in deep pain and hopeless!

My body has been burning from shooting after
Shooting and from fire after fire. Each time I
Am nearly healed, you shoot me or you start a
Fire. Why are you causing me so much pain?

Tears don’t slide down my face anymore.
They dry like sand in the desert.
The echo of my voice sounds like

A nearly dead deer in the jaw of a lion, from the
Endless pain you’ve caused me. Here you start
Shooting at me again and I am far from healing of
My existing wounds and burning skins.

You keep saying you love me:
I am your deepest heart and soul,
I am your shiny star and paradise.

If you really love me, why don’t you free me?
Free me from my long time torment.
Free me, I can harvest my sweet fruits, greens…
And I can breathe again my sweet-little wind.

Starling and Seagull: the Hungers

Luders Allen

March 2005
© Copyright 2005



Wings sprawled under the silver light.
A piece of flesh attached to the snout
Of the starling, hanging and floating.

The Gull’s tailgating the starling
By an inch of distance, and not willing
To settle its wings, after a long

And a hard time of hunt, for suddenly
Its hunt being attached without its
Consent to the Starling’s snout.

Between the earth and the sky,
An engagement of acrobatics,
And speeds scattered. Echoes pierced

The transparent walls. My heart felt with
Delight. And my eyes lost in the depth
Between the earth and the sky.

The Wind of Late February

Luders Allen

February 2005
© Copyright 2005




Behind the walls
Of transparencies,
The wind’s rustling
Like cattle.

Beautifully under
Universe’s light.
The effects of the wind
Have gone by the motions

Of the stillnesses.
Above the trees,
There solely remain
The boughs and the branches.

To Alvena

Luders Allen

May 2004
© Copyright 2004


I used to say:
Bonjour, Alvena?

You used to smile
And looked at me

With your deep-green eyes:
Bonjour, Luders!

I used to say:
Comment allez-vous, Alvena?

You used to smile
And looked at me

With your deep-green eyes:
Je suis tres bien et toi!

Now, everything
Has been fading

Like fruits resting
In a wooden basket.

I miss your tumble smile!
I miss your greenish look!

I miss your dada talk!
I miss your moody being!

When will you smile, talk
And look at me again?

Or, will you ever look, talk
And smile at me again?

La Chenille

Luders Allen

June 2004
© Copyright 2004




On the sidewalk I was walking.
And sweat was rolling down my being.
My head’s facing, mostly, downward.
I saw one of the most earthly
Creatures, and she was beautiful

Just like a rainbow in the sky.
She glimpsed at me and walked away.
(She must have come from the poplars)
I stared at her with deep passion
And love. She kept rolling her legs

On the side walk with no regard
Of my being as she was rolling.
She had no intention how bad
And dangerous the sidewalk could be.
One second she might have been gone,

Without her trace, by one foot step
Because her danger already
Had been manifested inside me
Like the vision of a psychic.
I stopped her from moving further,

She turned around and kept moving.
I stopped her from moving further,
She turned around and kept moving.
In the end, I bent down this time
To stop her with the palm of my

Hand, she just turned and kept moving.
I stopped her again with my hand,
She turned around and kept moving.
In the end, she rolled up onto
The palm of my hand. I held her

And stared at her with passion and
Love. For few second she was being
Held into the palm of my hands.
In the end, I put her upon
The ground with so much tenderness

And regretfulness, where I thought
She might have come from: the poplars.
If she will never walk again
Upon the sidewalk, soon, she’ll spread
Her wings above the wide—long sky.

My Being

Luders Allen

July 2003
© Copyright 2003



I’m what you see: a shiny ebony.
What you are, this is what I am:
A creature made by God just as you.
God made me this way as an infinite
Rotation which can never be
Metamorphosed. What you see before
Your eyes is sheerly what I am.

If you are tormented by what I am,
You are the cause of your own
Calamity. If you see me different
Before your eyes that aggravates and
Stimulates your feeling into fear,
Hatred and anger without learning
Who I am, it is based on your

Conceivable choice, from which, you
Find your grandeur, your glory, your
Privilege and your individuality.
The difference that you see before
Your eyes and so am I, it is just
An illusion. Inside of me, there
Is a variety of instruments

That play the same music that plays
Inside of you, and release compressed air
Through my pipes and yours that cause
You and I breathe the same air, we feel the
Same pain, we shed tears for the same
Causes, we share the same sadness,
The same happiness and the same destiny.

Invaders

Luders Allen

August 2003
© Copyright 2011



Sneak beneath my windows
And my shades, on a hot
Summer day, and invade
My moment of silence.

Pause upon the curtain
Here,
There,
Over there.

Pause upon my body
Here,
There,
Over there.

Scratch my body and
Interrupt my dinner. I take my pass away
Water I shower them.

Afterward, my moment
Of silence and comfort
Is restored.

One of My Experiences to Be Prejudged

© Copyright 2011

Luders Allen

December 6, 2011

What is prejudice? Prejudice is a pre-conceived opinion that is not based upon reason or actual experience. And it is always exercised toward one’s or a group’s religion, culture, ethnics or race. To be a prejudice is to be an ignorant. And to be an ignorant does not necessarily mean lack of academic education. One can possess the academically utmost degree and still be an ignorant. To be an ignorant it means being rebellious to face reason or convert to morality and rationality. This is why the formality of prejudice can be practiced in many different ways. For instances, in most regions in India, cows are sacred animals for the purpose of culture and religion, and they are forbidden to consume, therefore, are worshipped. So, China is a similar example, but in a very opposite manner: dogs and cats are consumed there. Meanwhile in the Western cultures, cows are consumed, and dogs and cats (humans’ closest friends or companions) are domesticated with deep love and passion. So, these cultural beliefs resulted in one culture is always blaming and judging the other… Therefore, if a reasonably thorough analysis would be applied, which culture is to blame, judge or consider insane…?  So, as well as for colored prejudice, since most people who are not parts of the black race (in all societies in this world, especially in the United States as the most condensed, multi ethnic and cultural society) always define most black folks as underdogs, thereby, they always see most black skins negatively—even some black folks who’ve been brainwashed believe in that bias. Consequently, most Blacks are always the subjects to be prejudged based on the color of their skins: black. Personally, in my life, I don’t know how many times others prejudge me, such as Yellows, Blacks, South East Asians, Mulattoes, Latinos and Whites. Just recently, a middle-aged-white woman prejudged me.

It was on a cold winter night. After a wearyingly long day of work, I was hungry like a wolf and could not resist with my hunger. As I didn’t have enough cash on me to go eating at a restaurant, so I passed by at the nearest Bank to withdraw some cash from my Bank Account. When I arrived at the Bank, there was only one functional ATM machine, and having preoccupied by a mid-aged-white woman. At that moment, she and I were the only customers in there. Despite I was distantly standing behind her, my presence stimulated a phobic feeling in her. From time to time, while she was in the process withdrawing her cash, she was turning her head and looking at me with an invidious regard. For the time being, I was so upset and embarrassed. However, I couldn’t do anything about it since her invidiousness was solely based upon gestures (And a part of my motive was, somehow, based on imagination, too. It could be otherwise…). My only choice of reaction, consequently, was to stay calm.

When I realized her fear was out of control, in order to make her regain comfort, I pulled out my wallet from my left pocket, in which I had my Bankcard. Thereafter, I pulled it out from the wallet and held it with my right hand to prevent being seen before her eyes as a violently suspicious person. Still, this strategy didn’t work and was not helpful so as to make her recollect comfort. I felt so, so uncomfortably and embarrassedly… Finally, after she finished withdrawing her cash and walked through the exit door as fast as she could, at the door, she stationed for about ten seconds to watching me while I was in the process withdrawing my money from the ATM machine. To signal her how her sense of rationality was fallen into a realm of ignorance, I turned around and looked at her with a facially unpleasant expression, and then I shook my head. Afterward, she left.

In this case, should I consider her behavior toward me was based on colored prejudice? Before elaborating on this question, it requires a thoroughly logical analysis based on two questions. Firstly, was she attracted to me? I don’t think so. If she were, she would not make me feel extremely uncomfortable and embarrassed. Expression or sign of loving attraction doesn’t deal with odiousness. Secondly, on the other hand, did she have a bad past experience while alone with a man? If she had a bad experience while alone with a man, she would leave the Bank right away after withdrawing her money. She wouldn’t have time to pause for watching.

Nonetheless, a further thorough-logical analysis can also be considered. When she arrived at the exit door, why did she stop for about ten seconds to watch while I was performing the process to withdraw my money? Or before her eyes, did the way I look justifying I could not have money in the Bank? In fact, if she were extremely fearful of me, after withdrawing her money, she would flee like an antelope, which happens to accidentally be in lions’ territory. For instance, someone who’s extremely fearful of another person, thus sees him/her as a violently suspicious one, would not have time to watch and pause for seconds, that person would quickly evacuate the area. To my knowledge, that mid-aged-white woman’s behavior toward me was based on colored prejudice.

Based upon my rational sense, when I was standing about a distance of 13—15 feet behind her, the routine of turning her head behind to fearsomely looking at me was a sign of feeling insecurely of being alone with me in that area. In addition, when she paused for about 10 seconds at the Bank’s ajar door to watching me amid the process of withdrawing my cash, perhaps she wanted to observe if I were the real owner of the ATM Card. While she was observing me, meantime she was on her cell phone talking murmuringly….   

For me, in real sense, to feel in such an uncomfortable and embarrassed manner about her iniquitous behavior toward me was the norm. Since I am a member of the underdog race, it is very difficult, sometimes, to prevent such feeling from manifesting inside of me. If I felt this way that night, it was not my fault. The American society makes me feel this way. Most of the time, in order to avoid being seen unenviably before eyes of most people, I have to apply double or triple efforts of social conformity wherever I go. This society makes me believe that under the law of God and this country’s constitution I am equal to members of other races, and in fact, it is the opposite. If I were equal to members of other races, why does this society indirectly expect me to be certain ways…in order to be seen with decency before eyes of most people? And meantime, most white folks and members of other races don’t have to go through my daily strain. In reality, the only times most Blacks (especially black-skinned men) are not subjects to colored prejudice it is only when they are well known (rich and famous) figures, or, perhaps, wear corporate outfits. Still wearing suit and tie or being rich and famous does not guarantee they won’t experience colored prejudice. As Mr. Toussaint L’Ouverture had always said, ‘it is always the Blacks who suffer the most’ (Cited in James 1963: 152).

The fact of the matter is, most of us tend to pass judgment on the appearance of what we wear, or our skinned colors and, therefore, ignore the essence of our existence and the content of our character. Perhaps, that night if I were in a suit and tie outfit, e.g., a corporate briefcase holding in my hand, she would feel securely with my presence. Due to the fact, as a black-skinned man, I were in casual outfit, then she quickly prejudged me.

Furthermore, a deepened aspect also needs to be analyzed. The same experience I had with the mid-aged-white woman, I could experience it as well with a black woman. Likewise, a black female could react the same way: prejudged and being fearful of me. However, for the most part, she would feel safely and securely with the presence of a white male regardless the kind of outfit he had on. So, how about if I were a white male, would the mid-aged-white woman still be afraid of me? For the most part, in my opinion, she wouldn’t be afraid of me to quickly passing judgment. She would feel securely either I wore casual outfit or not.

Color prejudice is nothing more than the unreasoning hatred of one race for another, the contempt of the stronger and richer people for those whom they consider inferior themselves and the bitter resentment of those who are kept in subjection and so frequently insulted. As color is the most obvious outward manifestation of race, it had been made the criterion by which men are judged irrespective of their social or their educational attainments. The light skinned races have come to despise all those of darker colour, and the dark skinned people will no longer accept without protest the inferior position to which they have been relegated (Fanon 1952: 5,6).

The reality is, beside the skinned color dilemma that exists between Yellows, Blacks and Whites, black skinned folks are subjects to relegate by others as well, such as Latinos, South East Asians, Mulattoes and many more... E.g., those sub-race members perpetrate colored prejudice toward black-skinned folks just as Yellows and Whites do. In consequence, in the minds of those colored prejudice perpetrators, they only judge black-skinned folks based on their blackness-skin color, and ignore them as humans and their social standards. In a deeper aspect, they have problems with the color of blackness. For them, blackness is a color of curse… To even go further, most people on earth have problem with the color of blackness-skin—including some black-skinned folks as well.

Often, prejudice is based on skinned colors, and black-skinned people, most of the time, are the targets of colored prejudice. Therefore, based on how this society (societies) negatively portrays black folks in most social aspects has played important roles for them to be primary targets of colored prejudice. A media that is always ready to widely expose the wrongnesses of Blacks, and tactfully expose the wrongnesses of Whites, of course, these negative exposures are enough to destroy the decencies of most black folks, thereby make most people view them negatively—even their own kind. Mr. Steele (1990: 43) argues that, ‘beside race problems that exist, black skinned folks are stereotyped the most more than any other skinned colors in America, if it is not in the whole world.’

Despite progress has been made throughout the years in the sub-race and race relations between Yellows, Blacks and Whites and others…, colored prejudice toward black skins, today, is still a matter in the American society (in the world). Black folks wherever they go, most of the time, others…always see them negatively—even some of their own kinds who’ve been brainwashed…. 

Thenceforth, based upon these societal stereotype biases, this is why criminal Whites can be judged before the eyes of most people as one of the most trusted human beings in this society—in any society on earth. (Emphatically, I don’t mean to say black folks don’t commit crimes. Therefore, there are not criminal Blacks. Of course, some commit crimes and violate the laws.  They are criminal Blacks. And I fully support the punishments of the judicial system against criminals who commit awful crimes, without regard skinned colors or races.).  Needless to mention, they are camouflaging the nature of their criminalities by always wearing corporate outfits. Therefore, the world is widely opened for them. So, due to the positive images Whites always have in this society (societies), which in fact always make it easy for them to successfully perpetrate and smoothly operate their criminal activities before they get caught…. In reality, the same way not all Whites who are criminals, likewise, not all Blacks who are criminals.

Somehow, after time has passed, I have begun to see the situation between the mid-aged-white female and I in a more widely reasonable and spiritual aspects. I have no hard feeling toward her. This society and her irrationality make her feel this way (lots of none white folks would react the same way). For not acting in such a manner, in the way this society conditions people’s minds negatively toward black folks, this requires lots of courage, understanding, education, compassion, love and humanism. In the meantime, this is an individual’s task, i.e., before passing any judgment, it is better to make logically thorough analysis. I believe that night if she utilized her critical thinking before passing judgment, she would not see me as a suspect until at one point my feeling was so hurt.

After all, we all are prejudice, no matter how hardly we may try not to be. We all may not perpetrate it based on skinned color or race. But, we prejudge others characterized on other factors… Nevertheless, I deeply believe if we apply spirituality, compassion and love in our daily lives, we can assimilate all of our differences and overcome that sickened mentality.

 

Sources

Fanon, F. 1952 & Read, A. 1996 (eds). The Fact of Blackness. Seattle: Bay Press

James, C.L.R. 1962. The Black Jacobins. 2nd ed, New York: Vintage Books: A Division of Random House Inc.

Steele, S. 1990. The Content of Character. New York: St. Martin’s Press.