Ode to the Only Black Kid in the Class
You, it seems,
are the manifestation
of several lifetimes
of toil. Brown v. Board
in the flesh. Most days
the classroom feels
like an antechamber.
You are deemed expert
on all things Morrison,
King, Malcolm, Rosa.
Hell, weren’t you sitting
on that bus, too?
You are everybody’s
best friend
until you are not.
Hip-hop lyricologist.
Presumed athlete.
Free & Reduced sideshow.
Exception & caricature.
Too black & too white
all at once. If you are successful
it is because of affirmative action.
If you fail it is because
you were destined to.
You are invisible until
they turn on the Friday
night lights. Here you are—
star before they render
you asteroid. Before they
watch you turn to dust.
—Clint Smith
CLINT SMITH is an acclaimed poet, historian, and journalist who was named to Forbes “30 Under 30” list. He is the author of Counting Descent, a collection of poems, and he is a staff writer at The Atlantic and appeared at Wabash in a virtual President’s Distinguished Speaker Series event.