As Whites Love Blacks
The poem As Whites Love Blacks was written in the wake of the events surrounding the death of George Floyd, when all over the West there was a sudden interest in black communities because of this murder. I had been asked to respond to the issue of racism, and this poem was the way I chose to express myself. I had never published it until now.
You love me as white people love black people
You love me as long as you don’t have to risk
You love me as long as our love doesn’t shake things up
You love me as long as you don’t have to acknowledge anything.
You love me as white people love black people
You love me like an exotic being
You love me so you don’t have to look at yourself
You love me so you can cry an impossible dream.
You love me as white people love black people
You love me as long as we don’t have to grow old together
You love me so you don’t have to face your fears
You love me so you can distract you
You love me as white people love black people
You love me while putting bars between us
You love me as long as I stay in your cage
You love me as prisoners love each other.
You love me as white people love black people
You love me when you can exploit my emotions
You love me when my righteous anger explodes
You love me as long as you don’t have to create a space for us.
You love me as white people love black people
You love me when our story reflects a revolution
You love me when our story reflects a tragedy
You love me as long as we don’t write our future together.
You love me as white people love black people
You love me as long as you don’t have to live this love
You love me as long as you don’t have to make our history visible
You love me as long as you can preserve your illusions.
You love me as white people love black people
You love me as long as love makes us cowards
You love me as long as love remains a dream
You love me as long as you don’t have to share the throne.
You love me as white people love black people
You love me to make you feel good about yourself
You love me to make you feel beautiful and good
You love me to make you feel good.
Laurent Maurice Lafontant is born in Haiti and has immigrated in Quebec in 2001 where he has been living since then. He has graduated in Fine Arts from Concordia University after achieving a double major in Film Studies and French Literature. Laurent has been involved in the LGBTQ+ community since 2008. He is a volunteer for Gris-Montreal an organization that raises awareness against homophobia. Laurent has been a volunteer and an employee at African Rainbow, an organization that worked with Black LGBTQ+ people in Quebec. He directed two short documentaries Be Yourself (2012) and Beyond Images (2014). Both films talk about Black LGBTQ+ people in Montreal. Laurent is now president of Massimadi Foundation, the organization behind Massimadi: an Afro LGBTQ+ Film & Art Festival. Laurent is also a self-published writer who launched his book “La dernière lumière de Terrexil” in spring 2018.
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