A Common Misconception

Have you ever walked down a street 
And stared at the people’s face? 
So you can have an understanding, 
Of who lives in that place 

Like a street in Port-au-Prince 
Or Dudley Station, in Boston. 
Filled with so many brown faces, 
For one to get lost in. 

A common Misconception 
Outside their Community, and also within, 
Is the exact definition 
Of the color of their skin. 

Why are we Black 
When our skin is clearly brown 
Because Black is synonymous with evil? 
Is it a way to push us into the ground? 

Are you trying to make us submit? 
Like a priest submits to a God? 
You’ll find your attempts futile 
Our people are too strong 

We survived the Middle Passage 
And Jim Crow in the Sixties 
Never have we weakened 
Nor did we seek any sympathy 

We continue to pump our fists 
And from no challenge we will cower 
We will continue to plead our rights 
But this time shout Brown Power 

Brown like the earth 
Which stays steady beneath our feet 
Copper like the sun 
That provides a steady wave of heat 

I am not ugly for my nose 
You are not ugly for your lush lips 
Not for my curly hair 
Nor your wide curvy hips 

And do not listen to those 
Who claim too dark to see your face 
Because the darker the chocolate 
The richer it tastes 

We recognize our strength 
And created our own visual perception 
Easily keep us down? 
What a common misconception!