History Lesson

Issue 17 Poetry

by Alexandria Valentine

i was doing the preamble to the constitution during that time you had to remember the preamble to the constitution before you could graduate from grammar school and i was reciting and trying to memorize it she was sitting in the rocking chair in the rocking chair and she said what did you say girl i said abraham lincoln freed the slaves abraham lincoln freed the slaves she said abraham lincoln aint freed no slaves them niggas was already runnin i was doing the preamble to the constitution i was doing the preamble to the constitution during that time you had to remember the preamble to the constitution i was reciting trying to memorize it i was reciting and trying to memorize it i was reciting and trying to memorize it she was sitting in the rocking chair and she said what did you say girl i said abraham lincoln freed the slaves freed the slaves abraham lincoln freed the slaves she said what did you say girl what did you say i said and she said and i said and she said abraham lincoln aint freed no slaves them niggas was already runnin i was doing the preamble to the constitution i was doing the preamble to the constitution i was doing the preamble i was doing the preamble i was doing the preamble you had to remember the preamble to the constitution you had to remember you had to remember the preamble to the constitution you had to remember the preamble to the constitution you had to i was reciting trying to memorize it she was sitting in the rocking chair she was sitting in the rocking chair in the rocking chair in the rocking chair and she said what did you say girl what did you say girl girl what did you say i said abraham lincoln freed the slaves she said abraham lincoln aint freed no slaves them niggas was already runnin i was doing the preamble to the constitution you had to remember the preamble i was reciting and trying to memorize it trying to memorize it she was sitting in the rocking chair in the rocking chair in the rocking chair she said what did you say girl and i said and she said and i said and she said abraham lincoln aint freed no slaves them niggas was already runnin i was doing the preamble to the constitution i was doing the preamble to the constitution i was doing the preamble you had to remember the preamble to the constitution i was reciting and trying to memorize it trying to memorize it trying to memorize it trying to memorize it she was sitting in the rocking chair she was sitting in the rocking chair she was she was sitting in the rocking chair she said what did you say girl what did you say i said lincoln freed the slaves lincoln freed the slaves lincoln freed the slaves she said lincoln aint freed no slaves them niggas was already runnin i was doing the preamble to the constitution i was doing the preamble i was doing the preamble to the constitution you had to remember you had to remember the preamble you had to remember the preamble to the constitution i was trying to memorize it trying to memorize it she was sitting sitting in the rocking chair and she said and i said and she said what did you say girl i said i said abraham lincoln freed the slaves she said abraham lincoln aint freed no slaves them niggas was already runnin he aint freed nothin

Alexandria Valentine is a writer and editor from Chicago. They earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from SAIC and a Master of Fine Arts at the Columbia University School of the Arts. Alexandria is a grandchild of the Great Migration by way of Lake Village, Arkansas, and Crawford, Mississippi.
Image Credit: “Lyra at a Reflecting Pool” by Anselmo J. Alliegro
Anselmo J. Alliegro attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and worked with some of the best artists in the country. Alliegro worked as Monitor of Models and Props assisting artists such as Vincent Desiderio. Later he attended Parsons School of Design in New York City.