Now I Get It

Black History Month is recognized almost everywhere; I’d watch shows like Roots but didn’t care. Slaves sold from one master to another; Separated from mother, father, sister and brother. On the plantations picking cotton; Praying to God they won’t be forgotten. Black people sitting at the back of the bus; Wondered why no one would put up a fuss. What’s wrong with you people, why not fight back? Mom said they stayed humble to keep families intact. The dogs, hoses, sticks and stones; They never retreated to be left alone. Can’t drink from the fountain, get an education; Little Rock Nine opened the eyes of the nation. News bytes of riots and protests and sit-ins; Still uninterested because where do I fit in? The 50’s and 60’s were for civil rights; So I can live in a city that ends with the word “Heights”. That’s in the past, I’d say, then channel surf; Something so subtle but powerful was what I saw first. A black man and white woman dance on the floor; Why didn’t this program affect me before? Whoopi and Barbara share a desk on The View; I had to look twice like it was something new. Oprah and Dr. Phil share a friendly kiss; Different races now celebrate wedded bliss. Jackie Robinson played amongst hisses and boos; Jordan and James are making sports news. Those who came before me were hung from a rope; On my 18th birthday, I will register to vote. Rosa went to jail because of sore feet; When I ride the bus I take the front seat. They marched on Washington years ago; So I can be a doctor, a lawyer, or CEO. Carl B. Stokes, Cleveland’s mayor in 68; Barack Obama in 2008? I finally realized what the struggles were for; Now I Get It even more!