They said Martin had a dream,
For the little black wonders,
As they marched down the streets
Like clouds of roaring thunder
That echoed across the skies
That we should be set free
From that modern day’s bondage
That kept them in slavery
To low self-esteem, ethnic value and worth,
For the sins of our skin
That marked us at birth.
It was in that time that we
Were brought together to see
The light at the end of segregation’s misery.
So what changed?
It seems today
that in light of seeking that equality,
We have lost far more than what we sought to achieve
For the hatred we have amongst ourselves
Our history seems to be nothing but books on shelves,
That we have no interest to read.
Or find out about.
For we are more concerned about the J’s on his feet,
The quickest way to make a stack,
How to shake to the hottest beat,
Or why her hair looks like that,
It is our own love and support that we lack
For what reasons are we always coming for throats and stabbing backs
through black on black crime,
Why must you steal from the brother just trying to make a dime,
Or break down the young woman for her flare and her thunder,
Why drag each other down through the dirt and the gutter.
When will we fuse the divide and break our color lines,
When will light vs dark no longer determine who’s fine,
You know, “the white is right..”
And that, “light just might,”
Or ,”you’re so pretty for a dark-skinned girl.”
It’s these phrases that make me want to hurl,
For our nation bleeds and cries for our souls..
We are supposed to be one, we are supposed to be whole,
For we were kings and queens, wealthy rulers of worth,
But it seems today we are seen almost as scum that roams the earth,
And that we will never be better than the shattered worlds from which came,
Those neighborhoods drowning of poverty, drugs, and gang games,
But it is up to us to show the nation the truth,
To celebrate our successes, to educate our youth,
To advance in the world, to help and love each other,
To be the keeper of our homes, our sisters, our brothers,
To elevate our ourselves and be committed to the cause,
To shock the world with our valor and leave them in awe.
Lets make our set backs our come backs,
Give our ancestors a reason to sing.
Let’s make a revolution that will be televised.
Once again, let’s let our freedom ring.
by Lauren Rascoe
