CHILD POET: I WAS WRITE ON

The New York Post ^ | 3/15/06 | By DAVID ANDREATTA

[BronzePencil]

Autum Ashante, the 7-year-old poetry prodigy whose work sparked an uproar in a Westchester County school district, made no apologies yesterday, saying she did the right thing. "I feel good about the response," Autum said of the firestorm engulfing the Peekskill City School District, where her recitation of a poem at a high school and a middle school offended students. "I know it was the right thing."

The schools sent recorded phone messages to 3,000 parents last week apologizing for Autum's poem, "White Nationalism Put U In Bondage," which accuses Christopher Columbus and Charles Darwin of robbing blacks of their human rights.

Her performance included a recitation of the "Black Child's Pledge," a Black Panther oath of civic responsibility and black pride, in which Autum asked only black and Hispanic students to stand.

Judith Johnson, the Peekskill superintendent, said the performance upset students and she stood by the apology.

"We had kids who were really upset," Johnson said. "We said [to parents], 'If your child was upset, we apologize for that.' There is nothing wrong with that."

New York City Councilman Charles Barron, a Brooklyn Democrat and former Black Panther, honored Autum at City Hall and defended her right to address only children of color.

[sheik yerbouty]

Hitler jugend in bowties..

[Gay State Conservative]

What better place for a child of oppression to stick it to whitey than in Westchester County.

The Most Ethical Couple In History would surely have attended if this kids had spoken at the Chappaqua Public Library.

[steel_resolve]

Imagine if you will, a little blue eyed blonde haired girl up there reciting a white power poem. This just goes to show you that it's fine to crack on whites, call them racists, whatever. There's a huge double standard going on here, and as a white male, I gotta tell you - it DOES NOT endear me to minorities when they encourage stuff like this.

[theDentist]

New York City Councilman Charles Barron, a Brooklyn Democrat and former Black Panther, honored Autum at City Hall and defended her right to address only children of color. Well then, Mr Barron supports those twin blondes who sing Aryan Nation anthems to sing before white-only crowds, and will honor them as well. Right?

[Kimmers]

....If memory serves me correctly African blacks sold blacks into slavery....

[msnimje]

Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have done more to deny blacks their rights than Christopher Columbus and Charles Darwin.

Then there is the matter of Margaret Sanger who created Planned Parenthood to reduce the procreation of blacks and other "undesirables."

Sounds like the Prodigy Poet would benefit from a little education.

[OldSmaj]

New York City Councilman Charles Barron, a Brooklyn Democrat and former Black Panther, honored Autum at City Hall and defended her right to address only children of color.

Ain't no double standard there.

Nope, no double standard at all.

And you represent all the people, don't you, Mr. Barron?

[BronzePencil]

here's the poem in question

White Nationalism Put U In Bondage

White nationalism is what put you in bondage
Pirate and vampires like Columbus, Morgan, and Darwin
Drank the blood of the sheep, trampled all over them with
Steel, tricks and deceit.
Nothing has changed take a look in our streets
The mis-education of she and Hegro — leaves you on your knee2grow
Black lands taken from your hands, by vampires with no remorse
They took the gold, the wisdom and all of the storytellers
They took the black women, with the black man weak
Made to watch as they changed the paradigm
Of our village
They killed the blind, they killed the lazy, they went
So far as to kill the unborn baby
Yeah White nationalism is what put you in bondage
Pirates and vampires like Columbus, Morgan, and Darwin
They drank the blood of the sheep, trampled all over them with
Steel laden feet, throw in the tricks alcohol and deceit.
Nothing has changed take a look at our streets.

[From One - Many]

I wonder if her parent know they are raising a racist?

[FroedrickVonFreepenstein]

You've got to be taught
To hate and fear,
You've got to be taught
From year to year,
It's got to be drummed
In your dear little ear
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a diff'rent shade,
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught!

[jaydubya2]

Wow. I can see some future anger managment issues there. Could be a sucessful democrat.

[Migraine]

Hey, she gots to have her drivel rights...

[uncitizen]

Imagine if you will, a little blue eyed blonde haired girl up there reciting a white power poem.

Unimaginable.

[From One - Many]

I see your point. Her parents know they are raising a racist.

[jra]

Autum. A-U-T-U-M. Nice.

[Labyrinthos]

This was not written by a 7 year old.

[Migraine]

This was not written by a 7 year old.

She may have written it; but someone else definitely inspired it.

[Yaelle]

Who filled a seven-year-old with such hatred? All the seven-year-olds I know are being taught that all colors are equal and we should love everyone. There is an adult behind this sick fevered racism.

[Tulane]

That's what I was thinking...if it had been Blue eyes and blond hair...the stories would be how horrible the kid was (which would be correct)...since the kid was not white, the stories are about a "controversy"...the writers do not condemn her words or the fact that what she stands for is 'reverse' racism.