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Harlem Riot, 1943


Not by hammering the furious word,
Nor bread stamped in the streets,
Nor milk emptied in gutter,
Shall we gain the gates of the city.


But I am a prophet without eyes to see;
I do not know how we shall gain the gates
         of the city.

August, 1943

Written by Pauli Murray (1910-1985)

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