You know,
THESE young men should have been
The focus of Julian Bond's
Opening speech at the NAACP Convention.
THESE young men would have been
Prime evidence that the NAACP is still needed.
That ole pale bully stood looking at me
Trying to tell me
That the black folks ain’t ever gonna be free
And they ain’t never gonna run a thing
Not around here he said
I looked at him and said that’s a shame
Those black boys are just as good as
Them there white boys I would thank
He curved his ole dried up neck
And closed one eye as he looked up at me
Where’s you say you from boy?
I didn’t say slur.
I didn’t say.
 Then I turned and walked away
He pulled himself up with that old wood cane
And came limping after me
I’s speck you know all about blacken huh son?
I wonder where dey daddies at?
How come ain’t any daddies here to fight for them?
Don’t black boys have daddies?
Where dey daddies at?
I said not a word but pushed on
Before he realized I wasn’t white
I didn’t feel like fighting
Nor going to jail
I didn’t tell him I was white
I didn’t try to pass
I just couldn’t believe how an old man
Like him could be so stupid and so dam mad
About something out of his control
So I moved on as he yapped and yapped
Flapping his lips
Squeezed his toothless mouth together
I believe for support as he yapped on
About something that wasn’t his business.

I heareth these six black boys
were trying to get into
The schools advanced placement
biology class,
Am I right?
I asked
I know and you know
there was gonna be a fight
Them white boys wasn’t about to
turn the other cheek
And let in some dumb black boys 
take the other seat
I looked at that old man
And then I asked him straight out
This is what this deal is all about,
 Isn’t it?
 The schools advanced placement courses
Yep! I speck so he said to me
It’s always been for white students only;
Them there white boys wasn’t
about to not throw their voice
It is not about sitting under a white’s only tree?
Now them there color boys
Would have done best had they listen to me.
I tried to tell them
It wasn’t going on
But they just wouldn’t leave it alone.

Nope son it is not about sitting
under a white’s only tree?
It’s kicking down anything that’s different
then the color of you and me
No way they was gonna enter
Without a fight
Even if it meant taking a black man’s life
While those in authority turns the other cheeks
Only these here nigger boys they didn’t expect to meet.
That ain’t right but they tried
So you are saying they ran up against the wrong
Young black men
Six strong handsome, well establish
Young black men
I thought to myself
That was willing to fight back
that old fared took his free hand and starched his head
Put his cap back on and said
Where are the daddies?
How many got the same last names as their daddies I’s wonder?
When I heard this I wanted to holler
 
Old maser is still alive
His chileans is still trying to keep the blacks back
But dey didn’t expect what dey got
This is the truth
No lies here
All facts

I saw a picture of a mother of one of the boys
But no daddy the old man said
I’s speck if you ask them they probably would
Say in jail or dead
Sad case this is
But I’s show like to know.
Where dey daddies at?
Did these boys have cell phones?
I asked
Don’t rightly know he said
As he scratched his ball head
Did they take video pictures of the nooses
Hanging from the tree?
If they did its news to me he rubbed his chin
And sort of looked up into the sky
As if the answer was lying there.
The pictures or videos of the nooses
Hanging in the tree could have been
The thing to do.
They could have sent it around the world
And posted around the world.

that old man looked sort of strangely at me
Who are you really son he asked.
Why are you so concerned about them there boys?
Why aren’t their daddies here to worry about them?
Not given me a chances to answer he went on
Rubbing his chin, his head and shaking his cane
I show like to know where dey daddies at?
the old fellow hard of hearing kept shouting
He wanted to know where dey daddies at?
Where dey daddies at son?

Well finally I said good day and once more started to walk away.
The boys should have reported
 The white boy with the rifle to the police,
It was not their place to disarm him;
And so they was labored a thief
Too much like robbery the sheriff says.
But they could have killed them had they not
Disarmed them one would thing
Or would that have been okay
The rifle carrier was white
That would have made it all right
It’s best he had it then them
Says a lot for the situation
At hand
Boy where you from
You don’t sound like nobody from around here
Naught I ain’t saying it’s all right for a white boy
To shoot no nigger, but I am saying it’s best
The white boy had the rifle
Ain’t no telling what would have happen had that
Stupid nigger had that gun.
You know how they are.
They always killing themselves and everything
Else that moves.
For real I asked.
That old man looked up at me again
One eye close like he was really thinking now
You show nough ain’t from around here
Are you one of them boys’ lawyers or something
He asked.
Nope I said.
And walked on.
He got up off his old can stool
And caught up with me once more.
What you know about them there nigger boys
You ain’telling me? 
He question me

Where dey daddies at?
Wasn’t his business
Where dey daddies is at
Where’s his?
Who’s to say his is the right one
Seems to me all they wanted
Was to get an education
And get out of there.
And all you seem to want to know
Is about their personal life
Now let me ask you a question or two old man
Why it is so important that you know
Where dey daddies at?

Was the chemistry class whites only?
Where dey daddies at? He kept mumbling
Are the AP math classes’ whites only?
Where dey daddies at?
Are the physics classes’ whites only?
Where dey daddies at?
Are the AP English classes’ whites only?
Where dey daddies at?
Surely, there is more adult Black male
Representation in Jena than a minister.
I said
Can you tell me where to find the sheriff?
That old man cocked his head and said
I’s him
son I just want to know
Where dey daddies at?
Again, I ask you where dey daddies at?
Finally I stepped out,
Stepped back and said
I’s one of them po nigger boys daddies
I’s right here suh!
He looked up at me and laughed
Then he said stop joking with an old man
And help me go find out, where dey daddies at?