I Am African American
The Parable of the Leather Bag
A white man finds a leather bag in the corner. The bag does not belong to him. He opens the bag and reaches inside. He pulls out gold and diamonds. He reaches inside a second time and pulls out spices and sauces. He reaches in again and pulls out instruments and crafts. And yet again he reaches in and pulls out ancient books and maps of stars. His house now full of riches he can no longer find anything else inside the bag.
He gets angry. He begins to curse the bag. He throws the bag against the wall. He stomps and spits on the bag. Then he gives the wealth and riches to his family and friends. When asked where they got their wealth and riches the grandchildren of the man said their grandfather found a bag that did not belong to him and took the wealth from the bag, but they had nothing to do with it. When asked if they would give back the wealth they had they said 'No.'.
One day the old man heard a noise from inside the bag. He unzipped the bag and listened. He heard nothing. He looked in the bag and saw nothing. He reached in the bag and felt nothing. Then he put the bag to his ear again and listened intently. Then he heard a voice say, 'Get in.'.
A white man finds a leather bag in the corner. The bag does not belong to him. He opens the bag and reaches inside. He pulls out gold and diamonds. He reaches inside a second time and pulls out spices and sauces. He reaches in again and pulls out instruments and crafts. And yet again he reaches in and pulls out ancient books and maps of stars. His house now full of riches he can no longer find anything else inside the bag.
He gets angry. He begins to curse the bag. He throws the bag against the wall. He stomps and spits on the bag. Then he gives the wealth and riches to his family and friends. When asked where they got their wealth and riches the grandchildren of the man said their grandfather found a bag that did not belong to him and took the wealth from the bag, but they had nothing to do with it. When asked if they would give back the wealth they had they said 'No.'.
One day the old man heard a noise from inside the bag. He unzipped the bag and listened. He heard nothing. He looked in the bag and saw nothing. He reached in the bag and felt nothing. Then he put the bag to his ear again and listened intently. Then he heard a voice say, 'Get in.'.
