The Lords of Dark Town were disturbed. The subjects
were at war with one another. Children wandered the streets. Fathers
were in jail. Mothers had no work. The people no longer believed
that their moldy bread was meat. Worst of all, the treasuries of
the Lords were running low. The kings of White Land were reducing
their tributes, the price they paid for keeping order in Dark Town.
If something was not done, there would be no more money to keep
them in the high style they deserved.
The Lords called a meeting of their minions. It was
decreed that their leaders would be the Overlord of Urban Progress,
the Elected Jester (faithfully managed by her Puppeteer) and the
Chief Pooh Bah of the Workers.
The Overlord of Urban Progress set the tone. "These
many years I have served you well as your emissary to the Kings
of White Land. They have paid me many tributes. I can remember
a least two million of them. I share them with you for jobs for
your spouses, sons and daughters. Now, the Kings of White Land look
at the conditions of Dark Town and feel that we are not doing our
jobs. They know the subjects of Dark Town are in a riotous mood
and threaten their plans for the kingdom. If we do nothing, our
tributes will be diminished and none of us will be able to maintain
the lifestyle our offices demand. We must demonstrate to the Kings
of White Land that we can still control our people."
The Elected Jester spoke, "You know, I inherited
this job from my late husband, who collected his tributes by distracting
the people with high steppin’ and tom foolery. He always told me
that if you gives the peoples a good show you can do anythings you
wants." The Puppeteer whispered in her ear that she was not
speaking in literate sentences. She collected herself and continued,
"Perhaps we should give them a dance. They could put on their
good clothes and strut at the grandest ball ever in Dark Town."
The Overlord of Urban Progress did not like the idea. "You
know how these people get when they rent fine clothes and drink
good liquor. They forget their place and try to sit at our tables.
They will begin to think they are our equals and we should listen
to them. Besides, we won't be able the keep out the Trouble Makers."
The Overlord of Urban Progress was very concerned
about the Trouble Makers. They never fell into line when the Lords
of Dark Town issued their pronouncements and studies. They always
had too many questions. Trouble Makers were the people who thought
that things should change in Dark Town – especially the nature and
quality of its leaders. The Trouble Makers thought that the Kings
of White Land and the people of Dark Town had a responsibility to
work together so that one kingdom could address the needs of all
residents of one great kingdom. They did not see value in paying
tributes to the Lords of Dark Town to keep them in line.
The Chief Pooh Bah of the Workers rose and thumped
his chest. "I have had a vision sent by heaven, I think.
We will have a summit of the people and tell them of our great hopes
and plans for their futures. We will feed them a meal and they
will be grateful for our attention. In the end, they will do as
we say and tell the entire world that we are the true leaders of
Dark Town."
“What about the Trouble Makers?” the Overlord of Urban
Progress bellowed, “We won't get anything done if those Trouble
Makers are there.” The minion agreed.
The Lords of Dark Town tumbled out of their starting
gates with excitement. They would call their event, “The Leadership
Summit of the Colored Leaders of Dark Town.” They would find the
safe leaders and invite them to sit at their feet. Great pains
were taken to ensure that the Trouble Makers would not be in attendance.
Names were checked and checked again. Those whose mother’s brother’s
uncle-in-law’s cousin’s politics were suspect would not be invited
to attend. In order to fill the room, the Lords of Dark Town elevated
some of the subjects of the fiefdom to the status of “Dark Town
Colored Leader for A Day (Temporary Status)” so that they could
properly sit in the shadows of the anointed. It was important that
only the faithful were in attendance. Invitations were sent with
instructions to return reservations to a mysterious address. In
order to make things look right, it was decided to invite a few
of the Trouble Makers so the outcomes of the summit could not be
doubted by the Kings of White Land. Besides, there would not be
enough of them there to affect decisions already made. The future
of Dark Town would be preserved.
The day of the Dark Town Summit arrived. The speeches
were ready and the chickens were frying. The Lords of Dark Town
knew that the masses would flock to increase their minion. Hundreds
of the anointed were expected. Very few of them showed up.
Like all royalty, the Lords of Dark Town were out
of touch with their subjects. They refused to realize that many
of them had seen the quality of life in the White Kingdom and wondered
why it was not available to them. The Lords of Dark Town did not
understand that their subjects wanted to be the rulers of their
own destinies and democracy was the coming order of the day. It
had escaped them that the Trouble Makers had a point: They lived
in a dark town because the anointed did not want to share the light.
Conditions would not change unless the quality of leadership changed.
The Overlord of Urban Progress was not be deterred
by the paltry response of the masses. He decreed that the day’s
proceedings would take place in the Royal Hall of Mirrors and Echo
Chamber. There they could hear their echoing voices as the adulation
of the people and see their multiplied images as the substance of
their army. At the end of the day, the Overlord of Urban Progress
declared that “The Leadership Summit of the Colored Leaders of Dark
Town’ was a success. It was done without the Trouble Makers. The
tributes from the Kingdom of White Land would continue and, so they
would not stop, there would be another summit in the near future.
‘Martin de Porres’ is a Writer, Organizer and Political
Observer. |