My Blackness Within

I walked with my blackness Not on my head like a crown of pride But like a shackle around my feet I basked in my down trodden self Never lifting the true glory of me I walked with my blackness Blanketed in my self pity Not seeing that my fight lies within Shoulders slumped as I accept defeat Before the game has even begun I walked in my blackness Contented to cower When I should have stood proud That my blackness is me But still it is not It doesn't define me It doesn't speak for me It doesn't even say where I am from That my ancestors were Kings and Queens Ruling over all they surveyed That my forefathers were Inventors Scholars, Philosophers and Yes! Farmers! My blackness does not mean I should be placed in your corner of shame Labeled: thieves, hoes, n***s, dunce, thugs And if you try to put me there I will always get out I must show there is more to my blackness than what you see Then you will come to respect the blackness of me I walked in my blackness No longer am I afraid I accept now your challenges And allay your fears So when you see me walking in your neighbourhood Instead of your guns your hands will wave “Hi” at me Be black, be proud, let the world come to see That there is more to my blackness Than the age old perception of me!