This reflection brings to mind Gwendolyn Brooks’ poignant poem, “The Life of Lincoln West.” Within its verses, we encounter a young Black boy who, bearing the weight of a world that found him “the Ugliest little boy/that everyone ever saw,” is bestowed an odd recognition. A white observer gazes upon him, proclaiming him to be the “real thing.” The boy’s features, akin to the exaggerated caricatures etched in minstrelsy, serve as a harsh reminder of those “pendulous lips, those branching ears, the wildness in his eyes, and that skin, a vague unvibrant brown, along with that great head,” a presence that seems to carry the enormity of a world within.
MAKE YOUR LEGACY TEACHABLE
Regardless of the art that you excel in or you believe is your expertise still in progress, if you lag behind at the ability…