It’s easy to fall into the trap that our history is “slavery”. A construct that has lasted for hundreds of years. A construct that we are still fighting in the present day. A construct that was intentionally embedded into our brains, because when it became illegal for them to enslave us physically they created a mind game. A game that would keep us institutionalized until they say enough. Our history has been manipulated into us adapting this oppressive state of mind. Their tactics of keeping us divided have worked to every degree. The ones with degrees get entitled to think they’re better because of a whitewashed education deemed to give them some superiority. Being in a world that keeps their feet on our necks, any breathe taken that can give you a sense of belonging we flock to.
They tell us our people sold us to continue to divide us from our homeland. They keep our communities in ghettos where we see nothing more than abuse, murder, drugs, and poverty. You see they give us Martin Luther King to thank when his dream was to be accepted and included in communities who were living the “American dream”. A dream that had no business being exposed to black people seeing we were begging for an enemy to accept us.
Our story is richer than that. Our ancestry was more than kings and queens; they were pure royalty. Our communities were ran by us. The black dollar was spent within black businesses. We were educated on our story and not the ones dictated to keep our children uneducated. We were wealthy. However, our stories were burned down. Our stories were stripped away. Our stories were beaten, abused, and tortured. Our stories were drowned under reservoirs. Our stories were calculated into fictional tells to keep us believing the body we live in isn’t pure wealth. Our story is beautiful. Our story is more than Jim crow, more than rape, more than slavery, more than pig intestines, more than mutilation, more than fabrications, more than trauma, more than being institutionalized, more than what is to be American and black.
To be black
Is to be the depiction of almost perfection
To be black
Is the illustration of excellence
To be black
Is the aura of magic
To be black
Is to be something bigger than you could ever see
To be black
Is a badge of honor to wear with pride
To be black
Is to enter every room with a stride that you can conquer every quest
To be black
Is to be a muse
To be black
Is to be exactly you
