(Prayer offered over the Public Address system and the school-wide intranet for the entire La Salle Academy educational community on Tuesday, 13 February 2018—Black History Month)
Let us remember we are in the Holy presence of a Loving God..
In honor of Black History Month at La Salle Academy, I will be reading this poem called “The Laws of Motion” by Nikki Giovanni…
The laws of science teach us a pound of gold weighs as
much as a pound of flour though if dropped from any
undetermined height in their natural state one would
reach bottom and one would fly away
Laws of motion tell us an inert object is more difficult to
propel than an object heading in the wrong direction is to
turn around. Motion being energy—inertia—apathy.
Apathy equals hostility. Hostility—violence. Violence
being energy is its own virtue. Laws of motion teach us
Black people are no less confused because of our
Blackness than we are diffused because of our
powerlessness. Man we are told is the only animal who
smiles with his lips. The eyes however are the mirror of
the soul
The problem with love is not what we feel but what we
wish we felt when we began to feel we should feel
something. Just as publicity is not production: seduction
is not seductive
If I could make a wish I’d wish for all the knowledge of all
the world. Black may be beautiful Professor Micheau
says but knowledge is power. Any desirable object is
bought and sold—any neglected object declines in value.
It is against man’s nature to be in either category
If white defines Black and good defines evil then men
define women or women scientifically speaking describe
men. If sweet is the opposite of sour and heat the
absence of cold then love is the contradiction of pain and
beauty is in the eye of the beheld
Sometimes I want to touch you and be touched in
return. But you think I’m grabbing and I think you’re
shirking and Mama always said to look out for men like
you
So I go to the streets with my lips painted red and my
eyes carefully shielded to seduce the world my reluctant
lover
And you go to your men slapping fives feeling good
posing as a man because you know as long as you sit
very very still the laws of motion will be in effect
Let us Pray,
Dear Lord, as we begin this week please help us all to use the power that we possess individually to wield power together in unity. Let us all get past barriers of ignorance that are blocking our capacity to love, and let us focus on what we all want on the inside, which is peace and community. Help us to do this today, and everyday.
Saint John Baptist de La Salle…. pray for us.
Live Jesus in our hearts…. forever.
Caroline Akanji–Class of 2018