Black Mantra

Living in a world and never really knowing your place,

It’s like a never ending race leading to nowhere,

But homegirl, chill you still here,

stuck you’re still here.

Imagine being in a place feeling so out of place;

a tribe, unknown,

your peoples, the kinfolk, whole entire history erased.

But homegirl , chill, you still here.

Being a black girl turns into a marathon and not really a race,

You never really win the race,

but you learn to keep up with the pace.

But homegirl chill you still HERE.

All these strong black women dying giving birth at astounding rates,

but it’s okay because we never really earned our place,

From the bussom we breast fed, palms sore as we prepared and fed the house,

But we lost touch with our own offspring,

Working sun up sun down

Men sold first chance they got thinking a black family is stronger together but divided they could conquer from the mind within;

So even 400 years later here we are ,

We can never really win.

Psychological warfare on a human race so deep rooted in hate ,

Where several misconceptions consume your fate,

They taught us undeniable self hate.

That we can’t escape.

Our black and brown girls and boys never really experience a care free childhood.

Still beaten , broken, never taught to be witty and outspoken.

The parents have become the new gatekeepers raising kids be obedient , put their heads down and listen just as their ancestors were told 400 years ago;

But homegirl chill you still here.

Don’t worry a race hated and segregated we still ridicule each other for being to light or dark:

400 years later we as a people have kept frowning farther and farther apart.

No reparations seems bizarre,

Look at where we are;

We haven’t come far .

Broken homes, no community,

It’s like they pulled us out just to break us down even more;

Self sufficiency has become a chore,

That some of us barely explore.

We spend our whole lives on the shadows;

Well that’s if we are lucky,

And don’t end up trapped in jail,

Because working minimum wage black and brown faces never really make bail,

And we are always encouraged to plea,

No trial .

and fear keeps us there longer than a trial would if they could just hear,

Still scared to live our wildest dreams,

Never wanting to chase opportunities or dreams;

Imagine being a citizen of the land of the free ;

When you still fight redlining and racial profiling ,

Imagine history repeating itself so quick, before your kids learn about police brutality:

They have to endure that routine traffic stop in the suburbs for driving while black,

And to a lot of you it may seem wack ,

But there are grandmas crying saying “slavery is back”.

And we don’t really know what to do about that,

Because Although we are free ;

The little black girl in me ,

She dies.

Everytime she turns on the tv,

And sees a mother of a victim,

Because as a mother ,

Could that be me ? What if we never correct the history?

What’s the end for me?

Homegirl chill , you still HERE.

But what happens when they don’t want you to be here.

Are you gone chill ?

Or are you still gone be here ?

What if they pulled you here , just so you can disappear ;

But before you go,

They had to get you for all the things you know or knew.

But it’s cool, because homegirl chill, you was still here.

If just for some moments,

Build the momentum up.

And just don’t miss your mark

Because homegirl chill

YOU still HERE!