"Brothers and sisters, my text this morning is the 'blackness' of 'blackness'." 
And a congregation of voices answered:"That blackness is most black, brother, most black. . ." 
"In the beginning. . ." 
"At the very start," they cried. . . 
". . .there was blackness. . ." 
"Preach it. . ." 
". . .and the sun. . ." 
"The sun, Lawd. . ." 
". . .was bloody red. . ." 
"Red. . . " 
"Now black is. . ." the preacher shouted. 
"Bloody. . ." 
"I said black is. . ." 
"Preach it, brother. . ." 
". . .an' black ain't. . ." 
"Red, Lawd, red: He said it's red!" 
"Amen, brother. . ." 
"Black will git you. . ." 
"Yes, it will. . ." 
"Yes, it will. . ." 
"an' black won't. . ." 
"Naw, it won't!" 
"It do, Lawd. . ." 
". . .an' it don't." 
"Halleluiah. . . " 
". . .It'll put you, glory, glory, oh my L'awd, in the WHALE'S BELLY." 
"Preach it, dear brother. . ." 
". . .an' make you tempt. . ." 
"Good God a-mighty!" 
"Old Aunt Nelly!" 
"Black will make you. . ." 
"Black. . . " 
". . .or black will un-make you." 

Seemingly coming out of a deep sleep, the student asked, "What does this mean?" 

I answered, "It means what it says and says what it means." 

Now, frustrated, he asked me, "What does race have to do with architecture?" 

I answered, "Black is and black ain't . . . everything and nothing." 

Now, visibly upset with me and my response, he asked, "What does your blackness have to do with architecture?" 

I answered, giving him a more specific example, "Ask your Mama." 

He looked at me, the scales falling from his eyes, and said, "Oh! I understand. You mean, like, 'What did I do to become so black and blue?' " 

I answered, "Monkey see, monkey do." 
 

  Darell W. Fields