New Stories All Stories
Seasons Episodes
Table of contents
Introduction 0 Why Write for the Public? 1 What to Expect, from Pitch to Publication 2 How to Write a Pitch 3 How To Tell a Great Story, Part 1: Structure 4 How To Tell a Great Story, Part 2: Style 5 Navigating Ethics and Reducing Harms 6 Habits of Thriving Public Anthropologists 7 Cultivating the Craft of Writing 8
Table of contents
Introduction 0 Why Write for the Public? 1 What to Expect, from Pitch to Publication 2 How to Write a Pitch 3 How To Tell a Great Story, Part 1: Structure 4 How To Tell a Great Story, Part 2: Style 5 Navigating Ethics and Reducing Harms 6 Habits of Thriving Public Anthropologists 7 Cultivating the Craft of Writing 8
Poem / Human Rights

Middle Ground

A poet-bioarchaeologist of the African diaspora confronts echoes of the Middle Passage in contemporary anti-Black environments.
By Dina Rivera
15 Oct 2021
The image shows the dark bottom of a boat floating on the water and the outline of small fish.

Clelia Michelini/Getty Images

“Middle Ground” is part of the collection Lead Me to Life: Voices of the African Diaspora. Read the introduction to the collection here.

Middle Ground - Listen
1:27

Dear one,
With your chocolate eyes and caramel skin
You hide the bruises of an unkind world so well
The way they pet your curls and pay you less
Their snub of your nose and jealousy of your curves
Have you learned yet to navigate their systems?
Have you learned to play their games?

Dear one,
These waters are treacherous
And filled with so much blood
Ancient chains on elders’ bones
Unwilling, unrelenting, testify
Bondage is the only middle ground
The gasp of the deep
Shares the silent watery screams, Dear one,
Of the brokenhearted

Dear one,
Grant your pounding heart a moment
Your steps may falter in a world that blames you
When your skin is the color of the rape
The product of centuries of hands
Ripping the resources from your soul
You have permission to reel
As the veil is uncovered

Dina Rivera

Dina Rivera is a bioarchaeologist whose work focuses on the ethical responsibility of scientific engagement in virtual spaces, as well as the healing closure offered by human remains repatriation. She received her master’s degree from the University of South Florida and is currently the administrative and communications coordinator of the Register of Professional Archaeologists. Rivera is currently collaborating with a global set of professional archaeologists to decolonize and diversify archaeology. Follow her on Twitter @dangergrrlie.

Stay connected

Find us on

Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, Twitter, Mastodon, Flipboard

Republish

You may republish this article, either online and/or in print, under the Creative Commons CC BY-ND 4.0 license. We ask that you follow these simple guidelines to comply with the requirements of the license.

In short, you may not make edits beyond minor stylistic changes, and you must credit the author and note that the article was originally published on SAPIENS.

Accompanying photos are not included in any republishing agreement; requests to republish photos must be made directly to the copyright holder.

Republish

We’re glad you enjoyed the article! Want to republish it?

This article is currently copyrighted to SAPIENS and the author. But, we love to spread anthropology around the internet and beyond. Please send your republication request via email to editor•sapiens.org.

Accompanying photos are not included in any republishing agreement; requests to republish photos must be made directly to the copyright holder.