Who

What

When

Where

Why

How

Who is black

What is black

When is black

Where is black

Why is black

How is black

Who can be called black

And who cannot

What does it mean to be black

What does it mean to not

When did its definition become so intricate

When did these subgroups become so intimate

Where can I go to escape the confusion

Where can I run free from this illusion

Why am I light skinned

Why am I dark

How did my pigment become a societal mark

A mark of inferiority

A mark of self doubt

A mark that tells me there is no way out

When the only representation of me that I see on the screen

Is housewives, bad girls, and hip hop “queens”

How can it be expected of me

To be all I can be

We must cultivate, encourage, and lift our pretty black girls up

Or they will be bound by the chains that won’t seem to let up

Let them know that they are every woman

That their futures are bright and golden

Teach them to be confident enough to say it loud

I’m black and I’m proud