SAINT LOUIS STORY STITCHERS ARTISTS COLLECTIVE
BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2019
STAND DOWN / RISE UP
Respect and Redirect
STAND DOWN / RISE UP Respect and Redirect is an exploration of African Americans throughout Missouri’s history that have impacted gun violence.
PERFORMANCE
Monday, February 18, 2019President’s Day
10:00 Juvenile Detention Center (No pubic audience)
2:00 – 3:00 PM Gateway Arch National Park
Mezzanine (Public)
This project is supported by Missouri Foundation for Health, Incarnate Word Foundation, Missouri Humanities Council, and Gateway Arch National Park.
Antigone Recites to Poem. Click HERE.
Fireworks
by Antigone Chambers-Reed
- My mother says
Hearing gunshots at night causes PTSD
Furthermore that denial of these claims
Are symptoms of such
I should tell her
The sound of gunshots popping is my
Lullaby at night
That my dreams are plagued with the constant
Bickering
Of two peoples trauma and ego
That sometimes at night
When my heart hurts for the families of this confusion
I imagine color displays
Of fireworks
Pray that a child can see the illusion I created
Instead of a hand holding a gun
Be comforted to sleep at night
- When seconds count
And
The police take minutes
Perhaps if they come at all
What will I do for protection?
Maya Angelou says,
A woman needs some sort of protection
But I am not yet a woman and
My biggest advantage is my determination
When the option is to be taken advantage of
Or protect myself
My family
Who steps to a gun fight with a knife
Of sharp tongues, sharp nails, and bitter fight
When my welcome mat has not been laid out willingly
And my bravado
and bravery
have been slammed against the wall
Proper firearm training might stop my heart from quivering
Fright from wrapping its frigid fingers around my knees
“I do like to have guns around”
- My family taught my mother and I
How to properly operate a firearm
Both hands on the weapon
Brace yourself
Aim to Maim and not to kill
While necessary
My opposition pushed at
The part of me where I hold my comfort
I pick up a firearm
At the same time
A man picks up a gun
I aim
While he takes off the safety
I take a deep breath out of nervousness
He breathes shallowly and pushes his
Anger, frustration, fear, and self-preservation
Through his gun
Together
We
Pull the trigger
Through my eyes
I hit a can
Through his, a street soldier falls
3 ½. Some part of his resolve withers
And he looks at
His hands
For a second
The misjudgment and guilt
Erases the color from his skin
For an instant, he assumes the power
Of a God
Let’s his fear fall off
Like a coat
Reminisces and wonders
If the soldier’s life
Was worth his own
- I view firearm education
As a form of gun control
When the situation is dire
One wrong misstep may cost your
Life
Be it then, or the last times you
Forgot
To clean your gun
I view counseling as a form of gun control
While not the save all to all
Ills of unprocessed emotional luggage
Therapy
Paired with properly maintaining, handling, and cleaning
A firearm
Might have a chance at saving the life of a girl
With the curiosity of a cat
Who dreams of color displays of fireworks
