FOUR Women

by

Ali Jamal

---

The Words of Queen Nina Simone:

My skin is black
My arms are long
My hair is woolly
My back is strong
Strong enough to take the pain
inflicted again and again
What do they call me
My name is AUNT SARAH
My name is Aunt Sarah
My skin is yellow
My hair is long
Between two worlds
I do belong
My father was rich and white
He forced my mother late one night
What do they call me
My name is SAFFRONIA
My name is Saffronia

​My skin is tan
My hair is fine
My hips invite you
my mouth like wine
Whose little girl am I?
Anyone who has money to buy
What do they call me
My name is SWEET THING
My name is Sweet Thing
My skin is brown
my manner is tough
I'll kill the first mother I see
my life has been too rough
I'm awfully bitter these days
because my parents were slaves
What do they call me
My name is PEACHES

---

This powerful song has been remade and sampled by many, the most recent being Jay-Z.  The song addresses the color-ism that still remains prevalent in the African Diaspora.  It is a tragic tale of ignorance and neglect, but intensely relevant.  The color-ism must subside - the healing process must commence.

Nina Simone gained high recognition and honor for bringing such awareness to the stage in 1966.  And even today we have not gotten beyond such foolishness.  We have a long road ahead but we will end this battle - slowly but surely.