Black Boy

Brush your hair until it's as flat as the bottom of the ships they carried us in.

Stand up straight and say yes ma’am or no ma’am. 

Join the football team and sweat until you can’t sweat no mo’ . 

Keep your shoes clean and scrub em on sundays.

Mind yo momma, always. 

Keep your clothes fresh, no wrinkles, stains or discoloration. 

Don’t want to give em a reason to look at you. 

Keep your voice and yo head low, don’t wanna give em a reason to look at you. 

Straighten your collar. 

Pull up your pants. 

Keep your hands out of your pockets and never wear your hood. 

Don’t wanna give em a reason to call you a ‘nigger.’

Talk like you got some sense, make sure you’re syllable perfect. 

Don’t wanna give em reason to call you ‘stupid.’

Don’t give em a reason to shoot. 

When you driving in yo car that you worked hard for and they stop you don’t move. 

Put your hands on the dashboard and don’t you dare move a muscle until you tell them. 

Don’t be like ya father and desert that baby. 

Be a man and take care of that child. 

Don’t give em a reason to call you anything but yo name that I gave you.