AIR RAID OVER HARLEM

BLACK WORLD

Never wake up

Lest you knock over the cup

Of gold that the men who

Keep order guard so well

And then—well, then

There'd be hell

To pay

And bombs over Harlem

AIR RAID OVER HARLEM

Bullets through Harlem

And someday

A sleeping giant waking

To snatch bombs from the sky

And push the sun up with a loud cry

Of to hell with the cops on the corners

at night

Armed to the teeth under the light

Lest Harlem see red

And suddenly sit on the edge of its bed

And shake the whole world with a new dream

As the squad cars come and the sirens

scream

And a big black giant snatches bombs from the sky

And picks up a cop and lets him fly

Into the dust of the Jimcrow past

And laughs and hollers

Kiss my

¡x&!

Hey!

Scenario For a Little Black Movie,

You say?

A RED MOVIE TO MR. HEARST

Black and white workers united as one

In a city where

There'll never be

Air raids over Harlem

FOR THE WORKERS ARE FREE

What workers are free?

THE BLACK AND WHITE WORKERS—

You and me!

Looky here, everybody!

Look at me!

I'M HARLEM!

Langston Hughes