White Man's Burden.net

Why Talk of the White Man’s Burden? Bruce Grit

Why talk of the white man’s burden;
What burdens hath he borne
That have not been shared by the black man
From the day creation dawned?

Why talk of the white man’s burden,
Why boast of the white man’s power
When the black man’s load is heavier,
And increasing every hour?

Why taunt us with our weakness,
Why boast of your brutal strength;
Know ye not that the children of meekness
Shall inherit the earth — at length?

“Take up the white man’s burden!”
What burdens doth he bear,
That have not been borne with courage
By brave men everywhere?

Then why the white man’s burden?
What more doth he bear than we –
The victims of his power and greed
From the great lakes to the sea?

--Bruce Grit, The Colored American (D.C.) (Feb. 25, 1899).
This poem was written in response to Kipling’s and published in a major African American newspaper.