inner_states-interview_12

Shit, I fought in Vietnam - did three years. I thank God I was alive ‘cause lots of them are dead and shit.”
“But I’m proud to be an American - proud to be a black American, but I’m not proud of racism. In the military we was all treated equal. I come back to the States and its all a lot different. Blacks can’t get no job. A black man can’t get in because of white supremacy. You gotta be in the higher echelons to get a job. There’s limits to the freedom because if you’re a minority, you have to be well educated. You gonna see a lot of racism. Ain’t nothin’ gonna change. Its still gonna be black and white. In the deep south, you go to Georgia and Mississippi an all that, hey man, its hard. Its dead racist down there. Shit, I don’t care. I work. I make money ‘cause I’m educated. I’m no dummy. I’m no black dummy. I’m educated. Man, y’know I been to five different colleges”.

• “I’m gonna go way back now. I’m a historian. See, black people were born into slavery. My forebears were slaves, but then we was liberated, we was set free. I love to keep that freedom. For everybody, not just because I’m black. For everybody. Everybody should keep their freedom. That’s what the flag represents: freedom.”
“I read a lot of history and I do a lot of thinking. I check everything out ‘cause I wanna know what happened. Lincoln did not try to free the slaves. Lincoln didn’t give a damn ‘bout the black people, he just wanted to keep the Union together. That’s all he wanted to do.”
“I was sixteen when I graduated from High School. I went to college for two years and then joined the army, but I’m still bitter. I’m kinda angry you know. You fight for your country, you come back, and you’re discarded.