I Am A Black Farmer*

 Sometimes the best way to describe how one feels and thinks is via music, lyrics, and a tune that sticks in your head. Here is a song that has been with me for quite a while. I hope you'll appreciate the words. They came to me a while back while driving down the road. I was driving. I asked my wife to drive so I could write them down. Admittedly, I am not the Black farmer. I am the farmer's friend and advocate. These are words and music to stories I have heard since 1994. The notion of a white guy writing a poem/song about Black farmers still knocks me off balance; however, this is what I heard and those words are from the stories they entrusted to me. 

I Am A Black Farmer*

I am a farmer, 

You can plainly see;

Yes, my skin is Black,

Black as I can be. 

I am a farmer,

I've got a story to tell,

So listen up now,

I'm as mad as........

Well, I am a farmer's wife,

You can plainly see;

I am a farmer's wife,

Black as I can be.

I am a farmer's wife,

We've got a story to tell,

So listen up now,

We're mad as......

REFRAIN

Well, Mr. Gov'ment man,

What's a wrong with me?

Is it that my skin is Black,

Why you're mistreatin' me?

So, Mr. Gov'ment man,

I don't want it all,

Just want my share,

Like those white folks there. 

I am a farmer's child,

You can plainly see.

I am a farmer's child,

Black as I can be.

I am a farmer's child,

We've got a story to tell,

So listen up now,

We're mad as......

REFRAIN 

Well, Mr. Justice man,

What's a wrong with us,

Is it that our skin is Black,

Why you're mistreating us?

So, Mr. Justice man,

We don't want it all,

Just want our share,

Like those white folks there.

I am a farmer's friend,

As you can plainly see,

I am a farmer's friend,

White as I can be.

I am a farmer's friend,

They've got a story to tell,

So, listen up now,

We're mad as.......

REFRAIN

Well, Mr. President,

What's a wrong with them? 

Is it 'cause their skin is Black,

Why you're mistreating them? 

So, Mr. President,

They don't want it all,

Just want their share,

Like those white folks there.

So, Mr. Gov'ment man,

When can we talk?

So, Mr. Justice man,

You gonna make us walk? 

So, Mr. President,

When's it going to end?

So, Mr. President,

When will the change begin? 

I am a farmer,

As you can plainly see, 

Yes, my skin is Black,

Black as I can be. 

I'm gonna work this land

Just as long as I can

Gonna work these fields

Until I can't.

REFRAIN

So, Mr. Gov'ment man,

When can we talk?

So, Mr. Gov'ment man,

You gonna make us walk? 

So, Mr. President,

When's it goin' to end?

So, Mr. President,

When will the change begin? 

Just want my share,

Like those white folks there.

Just want my share,

Like those white folks there.

Just want my share,

Like those white folks there.

*Copyright Waymon Hinson