Thoughts of Charles Barjon II: Volume I

Preface

It had to be (2015-2016) my sophomore year of High School and it was ending soon but my shift in consciousness was just beginning to accelerate. You see, for awhile I had already been internally questioning the social construct we live in, but I never took it seriously. Then suddenly the atmosphere of false-peace shifted to one of racial tensions. Around this time the movement known as, "Black Lives Matter'' was birthed and was shaking the world from every corner of the earth. I found myself in complete support of this movement. Especially after the death of Trayvon Martin while I was still in middle school. Imagine being a twelve year old seeing one day the death of Trayvon Martin and the next watching the death of twenty eight people at Sandy Hook Elementary school live on television. I digress, to re-enter my original path, at this time I began to notice how as a people (Black People) we were being oppressed. A chain reaction of realizations led to me seeing that almost everything that surrounds us is only here to trick us. Trick us into clinging to the typical movie 9-5 lifestyle; working to live. Notwithstanding, the plight of the Black man and woman to gain an education that teaches about their rich history without European influences. I spent my entire life in the American school system only to be taught about every other continent besides Africa. The extent of African history I was taught only consisted of the Slave Trade, for even the Egyptian history lesson about the pyrimids didn't give credit to the builders. These realizations never stood out till I enrolled at the Historically Black University (HBCU) known as Southern University A&M founded in 1880. In my first semester as a freshman I had already learned more about self compared to that of my twelve prior years in a predominantly white institution. Now, after all these realizations ( I didn't mention all of them, but that is why you are reading this book now) I am writing a collection of books, essays, and poems to comprise a book of consciousness that can and will be utilized as a tool in my life and the lives of many others.

Considering I am a poet the determination and discipline it takes to write a book is something to be admired. Never before did I realize how different writing styles can be. If it were up to me I would leave this in its original form as one long poem; but it wouldn't be effective. I have been writing poetry intentionally for four years but years can not count how long I have loved word-sound and its mystical power.