after a pause, I posed a hypothetical to the class. if all Blacks pooled their political power to reimpose chattel slavery with white backs bearing the lash, could the bill pass? after questioning the amendments to be repealed or replaced, wondering which racial groups would throw in— whites willing to wager their skin in solidarity—they all said, no. except the boy who misheard the question. thought Blacks were suggesting our own re-enslavement. the class laughed. but teachable moments are meant to be chased like the North Star or a runaway slave. the new question: a bill to place us back in chains. working textile factories instead of cotton fields— t-shirts over tobacco. fearing assault rifles more than whips. with a veto-proof majority, was it possible, even if a Black president sat behind the Resolute Desk? I wish I was surprised by the silence following their debate-less acceptance or how it shook their white faces red.
Matthew E. Henry (he/him) is an educator, essayist, and the author of six poetry collections. He is editor-in-chief of The Weight Journal, the creative nonfiction editor at Porcupine Literary, and an associate editor at Rise Up Review. Henry’s publications include Massachusetts Review, Ploughshares, Terrain, and others. Matthew E. Henry earned an MFA yet continued to spend money he didn’t have completing an MA in theology and a PhD in education. He writes about education, race, religion, and burning oppressive systems to the ground at www.MEHPoeting.com.
