Why do you walk 'round here with your head held high?
Are you proud of what you're doing to me, and those before my time?

How dare you wash your pale hands with me?
You attempt to get me to hate myself
Yet often, you too are denied

Pride has become your platform
To stand on,
To boast in your European dominance
Don’t even try to belittle my African heritage with high sounding words
As if I don't have common sense
That you really think you're better than I...

Still, Looking in the mirror I see
Something of God's beauty staring back towards me.
Beyond the knotty hair I see... ties of potential
Beyond the shape of my nose I see... loveliness perfectly, dimensionally proportioned
Beyond the caramel skin, the curves of my hips, the size of my chest, the softness of my lips
I see beauty...God's beauty. And it all stares at me!

I see the colors of the rainbow
Representing His promises flawlessly
I see every color strip, though none bigger than the other, placed strategically,

Together. Unity.
Clever. Deceitfully
Blinded by your hypocrisy
Somehow, you still endeavor to think that you are better than me

Possibly in every way of magnificence constituency

Amongst the light skin versus dark skin mentalities

Your insecurity bothers me.

Why must you force a smile whenever I speak?
Is my skin color not as great as yours, or better yet, yours as great as mine?

You too, have butchered and extorted my name,
Calling me as you wish: Ghetto, Coon, Black Barbie
You have tried to put me to shame
Even tried to manipulate my brain.
But in me, I see something that you obviously don't see!

In me, I see
History in the making!
Something more than the typical stereotype.
I see generational curses being broken.
Don't let this small frame fool you.
In me, there's a dogfight!

What? 'Cause my skin color isn't as bright or immaculate as you would like, you deem me as incapable? Just as you did to my ancestry.

I disagree in the way you treat me.
Because in reality, I’m made in the image of The Almighty, who is well able,

To love me, never leave me;
Respect me, never mistreat me;
Encourage me, never speak half truths or words of negativity;
Teach me beyond your futile thinking and opinions of stereotypical commentary.

Indeed, it's scary
That I find encouragement in your fake smiles and the way you flaunt.

I love how you automatically assume that because of my skin color, I’m unlearned...untaught.
I love your words of disdain spoken behind my back.
I love how you think you're better than me just because I’m
black--disrespects authority;
Asian--just another minority;
Mexican/Hispanic--never the majority

Yet, the more you "love" on me those ways, teaches me to never give up, to persevere, and to press through.

You don't owe me anything

My success will be my gift to you.

Your intentions towards me are not worth my success, nor my grief.

My skin color will never be a barrier between my unconditional love and respect towards you.

Unlike you, I flaunt in truth
As my lifestyle defends my integrity

Ahh, yes! I have finally discovered the difference between you and me.

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