Tag: “The Dozens”

Enslaved Black folk in America used to play a game called “The Dozens.” The object of the game was to tease and ridicule each other in order to develop a thick skin and high critical tolerance against the verbal insults of the enslavers. This was very important because if you reacted the wrong way you could get yourself and or your loved ones tortured or killed. This poem, “Ain’t Yo Mama Black,” flips the script and uses the dozens in a positive way!