The True Import of Present Dialogue, Black vs. Negro by Nikki Giovanni
"The True Import of Present Dialogue, Black vs. Negro" by Nikki Giovanni explores the contrasting identities and attitudes within the Black community during the Civil Rights movement, specifically the tension between those labeled as "Black" and "Negro." Giovanni urges a departure from middle-class complacency and advocates for a more revolutionary mindset, asserting that this shift is essential for the liberation of Black individuals and communities. The work emphasizes the need for an emotional awakening, characterized by anger, which Giovanni sees as crucial for driving change and fostering a meaningful future for Black youth.
Through a provocative and confrontational tone, Giovanni challenges readers to confront and reject ingrained values and behaviors that perpetuate oppression. The poem's repetitive questioning, particularly the phrase "Can You Kill," serves to emphasize the urgency of this transformative process, suggesting that liberation requires a radical rethinking of identity and resistance. Ultimately, Giovanni's work calls for an active rejection of limiting mindsets and a commitment to embracing the complexities of Black identity in the pursuit of freedom and empowerment.
The True Import of Present Dialogue, Black vs. Negro by Nikki Giovanni
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1968 (collected in Black Feeling, Black Talk, Black Judgement, 1970)
Type of work: Poem
The Work
“The True Import of Present Dialogue, Black vs. Negro” challenges black people to reject their middle-class complacency and adopt an angry revolutionary spirit in the quest for liberation of the black community. The title establishes the polarization of opposing attitudes among black people during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s—on one hand, “Black,” or those of a more revolutionary bent and, on the other hand, “Negro,” or those with a more bourgeois mentality. Here Giovanni insists that the revolutionary approach is the only one that will guarantee a meaningful future for black youth, who will be the beneficiaries of their efforts to liberate the black community from domination and possibly annihilation.
How does one adopt a revolutionary stance? By becoming angry enough to kill, according to Giovanni, but while the possibility exists for literally killing someone, what she really means is killing in the sense of rejecting values, habits, and actions that have kept black people enslaved. These include certain religious practices, economic habits, and behavioral characteristics that black people must “kill” if they are to be free from continued oppression by the white majority.
The poem is effective in its badgering repetition of “Can You Kill”; similarly, the harsh, often revolting language underscores the urgency of the poet’s message, which she states succinctly in the last two lines: “Learn to kill niggers/ Learn to be Black men.”
Bibliography
Beason, Tyrone. “Survival of the Baddest: Poet and Activist Nikki Giovanni Keeps Her ’60s Spirit Intact for a New Generation.” The Seattle Times, January 15, 2004, p. C1.
Davis, Arthur P. “The New Poetry of Black Hate.” In Modern Black Poets: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Donald B. Gibson. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1973.
Fowler, Virginia C. Nikki Giovanni. New York: Twayne, 1992.
Jago, Carol. Nikki Giovanni in the Classroom: “The Same Ol Danger but a Brand New Pleasure.” Urbana, Ill.: National Council of Teachers of English, 1999.
Josephson, Judith P. Nikki Giovanni: Poet of the People. Berkeley Heights, N.J.: Enslow, 2003.
“Nikki Giovanni.” In Her Words: Diverse Voices in Contemporary Appalachian Women’s Poetry, edited by Felicia Mitchel. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 2002.
Washington, Elsie B. “Nikki Giovanni: Wisdom for All Ages.” Essence 24 (March, 1994): 67.