I, Willie Grant Johnson Jr. was born in the hills of Crockett County near the town of Friendship, Tennessee, the son of sharecropper, Willie Grant Senior, the best cotton grower in west Tennessee.
My mother, Georgia Mae was the best cook in town. It's a southern tradition for preachers to have dinner at families homes, and every Sunday evening the preacher would come and eat at our home. Of course us kids had to wait for him to finish first, and I hated every bit of it.
Crockett County was where church, family and stories were our tradition; Only 40 miles away from Alex Haley's (author of Roots) hometown of Henning Tennessee. I Moved to Minneapolis in 1972, went to school with Prince and Jimmy Jam, at Bryant Junior High, Central High and Washburn High school.
Writing was something to do on cold Minnesota days and nights. One thought led to another, and so came to life Different Shade of Black Thoughts.
This collection of Lyrical Poems has been seven years in the making, and with the help of my spokesman I hope to share them with the world.
About the Work Disclaimer
I am an artist who believes it is my duty to express the songs, sights, sounds, experiences and cadaverous behavior of my black people here in America. Every Black or White person has someone or knows someone who is depicted in one of these short story poems. It doesn’t reflect the individual Black person per say or lifestyle. These poems reflect the different shades of Black thoughts in our neighborhood. The use of Black words is always a controversy when it comes to the words: 'Bitch', 'Nigga' and 'Nigger'. I want to define the use of these words on how I’m using them.
'Nigger', is a racist term used mostly by bigot Whites who feel that Black people have no use in life, unless they are benefiting the White American agenda.
A bonafide low life, scapegoat, life hater, cut throat, don’t read, twist words, jestful, take the wrong side of life, has no politics, thuggish, kinky, at home with momma, a forty ounce for breakfast, will cuss out anybody over nothing: that’s the definition of a 'Nigga'; someone that needs to be prayed for.
'Bitch' is being used sarcastically.
Enjoy the show… Different shades of Black Thoughts.