The reality of some members of my race
African American women
We depend on the government to feed, clothe, and take care of our children.
We have a baby on May 15th and become pregnant again on June 20th by the same man
That has NO job, a pot to urinate in, or a bed to sleep.
But because he whispers something sweet, or kisses us gently on the cheek
We will risk the possibility of catching an incurable disease.
Slaps, kicks, punches, and cigarette burns on our cheeks
We take from a man that can barely say his ABC’s or the simple numbers 1, 2, and 3.
We try to keep up with the Jones’ down the street
But we can barely keep a loaf of white bread, ham, let alone cheese
Or the lights on in the house so we don’t stumble at night when we are sneaking and geeking with our best friend’s fiancé, Malik.
But that’s us the African American women
who penetrate the words RESPECT and RESPONSIBILITY.
Yet we still say we are the baddest—female dogs—ever.
Very funny!
African American boys
Say they have a girlfriend
But how can Aisha be your singular “girlfriend”
When Keisha, Tameka, Shanika, and LaQuandisha
Become pregnant by you at the same time on different days, in the same week, and live on the same street.
A man, you are not.
Especially when you are working at Mickey D’s
Making around $6.20 an hour, and you
Only work 9 hours a week.
You have no room for conceit.
Please take a seat because child support
Is going to show you how less of man you are and will always be.
As African Americans
We prove every day to the white man how foolish he expects us to be
Leaving our little children in the car to die just to go get a hit of drugs that we think is oh so sweet,
Not thinking of the heartbeat,
The heartbeat of a beautiful baby girl, that could have made a change in this lost, twisted world.
We are killing and robbing each other
Because we are to jealous to see one of our own succeed
That’s what happened to Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., and Doe B.
Our race is unbelievably confusing to me
We complain about what we don’t have but do nothing to earn anything.
Nothing from nothing leaves nothing
So we need to open our eyes and see the big picture that Martin Luther King Jr, intended for us to see.