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Niggering in New York: (NYPD Racism)
Niggering in New York: (NYPD Racism)
They rode in a long van, with their turning roof lights
Blinding all road users
As they tumbled down white plains road.
I cruised with my Nissan Altima
Blasting sir Warrior across city borders
Along gun hill road.
We met beside the 2 train on gunhill
Where the red light almost caught me.
They stopped by my front,
And the bent nose told his friend
Write him a ticket,
I shouted from my car: a ticket for what? I stopped for the light……
The bent nose still: lets pull him over he has drugs on him,
But I just stuck my eyes at them, saying nothing,
His friend drove past.
I moved on,
Knowing they were watching me,
I screeched into white plains road
And they pursued me, stopping me by the Chase Bank
“I hate these niggas” the bent nose muttered as they came towards me
I laid out my papers
And told them I was a big man,
And anything they did would be used in evidence.
They asked me if I had any drugs
And I retorted: does it seem so?
The bent nose told the other one: they all have drugs on them
He brought out his ticket pad,
Not knowing what offence to charge me with
He stopped and hesitated with the ticket,
So I helped him,
“charge me with being a nigga as you said
Or give me a ticket for niggering
For having a short nose, not bent like yours
Or having a pretty brown skin
Not as bright as yours
Charge me for not being white
And still driving in New York city………”
To which the bent nose yelled:
Get off the car, this is anti Semitic
Get off the car now you mother f------
“I shall get off the car” I said
“Now do your searches and ticketing,
But never forget,
For every wrong step you take tonight,
Search yourself, and write yourself a ticket”
They looked intently at me and waved me away,
At which point I blasted Sir Warrior,
All the way down white plains road.
Uzoma Nwaekpe (Bronx New York, 7/13/2010)
