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.