When I was Silent

 




First, they came for the LGBTQ+ individuals,  

and I did not speak out—because I was not a gay.


Then they banned abortion, books and the pill, abortions and gender affirming surgery,
 and I did not speak out—because I was too busy watching the birds fly. 

Then they pushed the undocumented strangers out, forcing them to live in hovels, 
cross barbed wire fences, and I did not speak out because my people have been here for
3 generations.

Then they came for the Palestinians, the Haitians, the Ukrainians, 
and I did speak out because I was too obsessed with my own stuff, 
and really did not care about these foreigners. 

They wrapped themselves in the flag, preached patriotisms, and declared themselves
the warriors of god - I said nothing because I was confused. 

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me

Comments

  1. Gilmore CrosbyApril 1, 2024 at 6:08 AM

    As it has been said, if we don't know history we are doomed to repeat it. Thank you, Rodney, for this application of wisdom from those who did not speak out during the rise of the Nazi's in Germany.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shut Up and Dribble

Image
 Shut Up and Dribble rodneyc/24 So ungrateful, did we not rescue you from the wilderness We gave you civilization and helped you unlearn those savage ways. Did we not teach you a religion to replace your heathen gods,  and did not we feed and clothe you and give you jobs, a place to live, and chitterlings, pig feet, tails, brains, and greens? So just shut up and dribble, and stop all that complaining. Here you stand in the destiny we gave to you we washed the filth of your history, gave you the pride of place did we not teach you about how Lincoln emancipated you gave you liberty, cut the shackles, and let you work the land and in the factories, wash our clothes and tend our children So just shut up and dribble, and stop all that complaining. You got your freedom, thanks to us; you live in houses, thanks to us, you worship our God, thanks to us, you who would be wretched of the earth had it not been for us, and here you stand -talking about how hard it was to live in ghettos...
Read more

Letter from former student

Image
 I am actually grading essays...here is a surprise..   Dr. Coates There are thousands of people around the world who would love the opportunity to attend college. I fortunately was blessed with the opportunity that most from my area did not get. The area I came from there are three choices that you have coming out of school. You either received a scholarship for an athletic or academic purpose, go and get a regular nine to five job, or get involved in street activities. Since the end of my senior years I have witnessed three of the people who I use to associate myself with shot and two dead. God has had favor over my life and blessed me with athletic abilities to be able to receive an athletic scholarship to a public ivy school. Before coming to college Ive always seen movies of how college would be. Coming on my official visit to Miami I learned a lot about the college and how prestigious this college really is. It has one of the top business schools in the United States. I l...
Read more

2023 Professional Annual Review

Image
I. Introduction NAME Rodney D. Coates       Rank Professor Department Global and Intercultural Studies 2022 Annual Activity Report (Winter 2023-Fall 2023)   I am honored to be in my 30 th year at Miami University.  During this period, I have worked my way through the ranks from an untenured Assistant Professor to tenured Full Professor and from Director of Black World Studies to Coordinator of Black World Studies.  I continue to be actively engaged as a teacher and scholar, rendering service at multiple levels to include national, state/local, University, division, department, program, and students.   While these areas can be distinguished for review purposes, they are more cyclical than linear.  This means, at least for me, that all levels of engagement dynamically interact and inform each other.   Thus, my pedagogy informs my scholarship and service, as my service informs my scholarship and pedagogy, and my scholar...
Read more