cripchick's blog

“race plus disability divided by sexuality = huh?”

the transcript of this amazing piece is below the cut, courtesy of the brilliant, resilient, truth-illuminating, ground shaking and breaking artist leroy moore. proud to call this artist friend. check out his other work, like sins invalid and krip hop, and be ready to be blown away by this man.

if you don’t know… now you know. ;)

Man to Man Talk

by Leroy Moore

Hey you stop stop I’m right behind you
I’m Black like you my brother
Yeah the Black Kripple
Look at me look at me
Hear this hear this
(Play song for 28 seconds slowly lower the volume)

But lets go back born D O A, Dead On Arrival
Caused lack of oxygen to the brain
CP Cerebral Palsy POC Person Of Color
Big Black football player, my dad
In the waiting room didn’t like the doctor’s news
Men in white suites pumping my chest, eyes opened
Welcome to the living Leroy

My life
Black and disabled
Home was stable
Adults thought I was unable

Like a penny I have been
Flipped dual identities
My two communities don’t want me
Felt like I was homeless

My childhood hunts me
Children were ruthless
Racism & Ablism created a mask

I continue to see single Black mothers with their disabled sons
Husbands gone could not deal
Mothers strong had to be real
Black disabled boys from broken homes
Lingering questions, did Dad leave because of me

Girlfriends not a reality
Women want my advice but can’t see me as a mate
Black disabled men are in a stalemate
Will I die a single man?

But it’s another cold night
The Iseley Brothers singing Between The Sheets
While Black disabled men sleeping on the streets
sex education came from the Lusty Lady
It’s a lonely world

Self –empowerment, self love, putting society’s attitudes on the shelve
Black sisters don’t know what they are missing
She, a Black woman
Me, a Black disabled man
We were trained to fear, compete and not talk to one another
Is this why all my intimate relationships are with White women

Race + Disability divided by Sexuality = uh uh
I was 3\5 of a person
With a disability I’m not even on the goddamn scale
Disability & Masculinity? Can we talk?

Black Masculinity has to make room for my body
Ask Teddy Pendergrass
The Black Stallion of the 70’s & 80’s
Regained his sexuality as a wheelchair user

Now that is the true strength of a man
Black Disabled and Masculine
Morris Day, What Time Is It? Bring me a mirror
Cause I know I’m fine

Masculine mixing with feminine
I came from a woman and a man
My sexuality goes deeper from what you see
But you treat me like Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man
Bumping up against our shadows

It took forty years to walk with my head up
Saying Black is beautiful and
Disability is gorgeous
Too sexy for society’s straight jacket
Wearing my sexuality on my sleeves
My body, mind and soul stepping into the spotlight

You see society tries to put me down
But you can’t keep a good man down
This is a message to all my black disabled brothers
Feel your masculinity and step into your sexuality
Brothers, it’s time we ALL had a man-to-man talk”