Tonight, We Talk

My tongue is bold

I always said my words would change the world, and it starts

Right

Here

Draw ye near

No?

Well my words will pull you by your ear

And your flesh my get seared

But, the truth hurts

There's something going on here

Hush, don't talk about it

But, there's talk among my peers

My beautifully black peers

We talk amongst ourselves, but hush

We keep it hushed

There is fear of speaking in the presence of your ear

But, tonight, we talk

Taste it

Feel it on the regions of your tongue

What was often sweetly hidden is now turned bitter

Too tart to speak of

But tonight we bite the lemon, hard

Tonight we'll savor the tart truth

Tonight we will all share in the constant burn of the black student's plight

Tonight, we talk

It would be a shame for us to come to this diverse place and leave unchanged

It's a sad thing that some leave culturally maimed

Yes, it happens here

But, tonight, we talk

We all come from different walks of life

Some of us, more than others, have had to deal with strife

But whatever you have had to deal with in your life

Know that when you come here, you should learn to walk many different walks of life

And if you have not already?

That is why, tonight, we talk

This is what we boast -- a diverse student body population

We would also like to think we can boast harmony and not racial trials and tribulations

Let us take a moment to check ourselves

As tonight, we talk

A dedicated SDB member, I've had visiting parents ask me if I feel accepted

I always say yes, for largely, this is the case

But largely philosophically means that there is no doubt a “smally”

In a smaller yet sufficient percent of the time

Black students do not feel welcome here

We know because we tell each other

But, tonight, I talk

Black

Some people still don't know what to do with it

Some say it's overrated and just want to be through with it

Race

Some say we need to get over ourselves

They think we're past this

Yes, our nation has made progress

But, we?

We are not through with this

And that's why, tonight, we talk

Yes, that is the truth you hear

What is the truth of what goes on here?

Well, let me grace your ears

Look at black like it belongs here

Black also deserves to be lent your ear

Don't fear sitting down to eat with a group of us

Don't fear approaching a throng of us

When you're working on a project with me, don't you dare overlook my intelligence

Don't you forget I sit right alongside YOU in OUR classes

Don't be afraid to participate in Black Expressions

People of all races participate in Los Amigos, MSA, ASA, and ICA

Please know that B.E. is just the same

Please don't be amazed when I succeed just as well as you do

Please don't be floored if I surpass you

This isn’t in our heads

It's the truth and everyone knows it

Oh, yes, you can choose to hide it

You can deny it

But you CAN see it

It's just that too often we close our eyes to it

Hush

But, it's time for that to stop

And don't get mad at me when i speak the truth

Don't brush me off

If you want to know when we'll stop

This is when we'll stop

When you look at us like we belong here

Well whatever is she talking about?

Just for a moment

I require you

Step into the life of a black student

Listen to the truth of goings on here:

"An RA said, 'It would be the black people on the hall making all of that noise.'"

"An Asian student said, 'But wouldn't it be weird for me to be sitting at a table with just black people?'"

A white student in a philosophy course made an outrageous comment concerning African Americans. The entire class gasped, stared down the lone black student and awaited a reaction. Another white student dropped and shook his head muttering, ‘That was so unnecessary.’

Now, I make you privy to the lamentations of black students that often escape your ears

Listen:

"I have to try so hard every day not to get worked up about it. I've tried talking to my roommate, but she isn't trying to hear me. She'll never know what it's like to be black. She'll never know what it's    like to be me."

"I notice the small things. How they'll hold the door open for them, but let the door slam in my face."

"The way they look at me when I say I'm pre-med. Like I just spoke in gibberish or something."

"If you're Asian, you're expected to be smart, if you're white, you can be smart, if you're black, you have to prove it first."

"When I show up to class, this same kid always turns rap music on his iPod, and greets me like

'yo, wassup?'"

"In sociology class, everyone has something to say every day until we get to the race and ethnicity unit covering books like Why Do All the Black Kids Sit Together in the Cafeteria? Then everyone is silent. Some get offended by their own choice ignorance.”

Open up your eyes

This many people wouldn’t be lyin' for the hell of it

It may not be YOU discriminating, but

Yes, today the issue is still relevant

That's why, tonight, we talked

These bitter truths don't reflect everybody, I know

If it's not you, thank you, and make sure it's never you

But if today you looked yourself in the mirror of my words

You've got to change because the beginning of the end of this

Is today