Our Pearly teeth are not racially insured
And therefore must be Gleemed For Fewer Cavities:
For instance
Even though all astronauts are white
Perhaps Black People can develop
Some of those human attributes
Requiring
Dried dog food frozen coffee instant oatmeal
Depilatories deodorants detergents
And other assorted plastic.
And this is the surest sign I know
That the american cancer society is dying---
It has started to dump its symbols onto Black People
Convincing proof that those symbols are now useless
And far more lethal than emphysema.
Here, Lorde is referring to the notion that Blacks as a whole are seen as “a step behind Whites”. An example of this was shown through the difference in resources White schools received in comparison to the lack of resources that Black schools received during segregation. White schools had newer textbooks and better classroom resources, and when new textbooks were written, the older and outdated textbooks that were deemed useless were passed down to the Black schools. Lorde is saying in this case, when “symbols” are dumped on Blacks, those “symbols” have been deemed ineffective or useless when aimed towards the White community.
The American Cancer Society Or There Is More Than One Way to Skin a Coon