Twice in a white moon
In 1970 musician and poet Gil Scott Heron wrote the poem Whitey on the Moon. It was released as the ninth track of his debut album, Small Talk at 125th and Lenox.
The poem tells of medical debt, high taxes and poverty experienced at the time of the Apollo Moon landings, as well as criticising the money spent on the US space programme while Black Americans were experiencing social and economic disparities at home on Earth.
The full text of the poem follows.
A rat done bit my sister Nell.
(with Whitey on the moon)
Her face and arms began to swell.
(and Whitey’s on the moon)
I can’t pay no doctor bills.
(but Whitey’s on the moon)
Ten years from now I’ll be payin’ still
While Whitey’s on the moon.
You know, the man jus’ upped my rent las’ night,
’cause Whitey’s on the moon.
No hot water, no toilets, no lights,
but Whitey’s on the moon.
I wonder why he’s uppi’ me?
’cause Whitey’s on the moon?
Well I wuz already givin’ ‘im fifty a week
And now Whitey’s on the moon.
Taxes takin’ my whole damn check,
The junkies make me a nervous wreck,
The price of food is goin’ up,
An’ as if all that crap wuzn’t enough,
A rat done bit my sister Nell.
(with Whitey on the moon)
Her face an’ arms began to swell
And Whitey’s on the moon.
Was all that money I made las’ year
For Whitey on the moon?
How come I ain’t got no money here?
Hmm! Whitey’s on the moon.
Y’know I jus’ about had my fill
Of Whitey on the moon.
I think I’ll sen’ these doctor bills,
Airmail special to Whitey on the moon
Nothing much has happened in the intervening 56 years as far as the plight of Black Americans is concerned. There is still racism and discrimination, whilst medical care funding programmes, food stamps and other welfare have been cut by the authoritarian regime of Donald Trump, disgraced former 45th and current disgraceful 47th President of the United States, adjudicated sexual predator, condemned business fraudster, convicted felon, compulsive liar and golf cheat (who is on a personal quest to Make America Grate Again or something similar. Ed.)
Another thing that hasn’t changed is the rising prices of everything, not least due to tRump’s illegal attacks on Iran in collusion with fellow war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu.
It’s said that history does not repeat itself. While this may be true, history is quite fond of tribute acts. As a tribute act to its triumphs of 1960s and 1970s, NASA has this week launched the Artemis II mission, which has sent four astronauts on a flyby around the Moon and back to Earth.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Nevertheless, there have been two significant changes in Artemis II from the 1960s and 70s Apollo missions, one of the four-person crew, Victor Glover, is an African American and another, Christina Koch, is a woman.