You are.

Dear future queens,

Do you not know that black girls rock much more than their hips?

but they shake barriers and make mountains fall until the stumbling blocks are nothing more than pebbles at their feet

defeating him, they, and self

with increasing confidence to say I can

and the audacity to show I will

My will, power, ability, hope is tied in your future and rooted in our history.

"If your reference to yourself begins in chains, you will seek to run from who you are"

but your reference comes from kings and queens and I will never let you forget who you are.

You are beautiful.

You are capable.

You are intelligent.

You are more than your circumstance.

You are more than the lack of funding in your schools.

You are more than the images on the screen that reflect your beauty but neglect to portray your complexity and promise.

You are.

And if I could change one thing in this world it would be

That all would use their privilege of choice to choose to see

the ugliness that tries to dim beauty in brown girls with round noses, kinky hair, full lips, and dark eyes

Choose to see the injustice that subtly indoctrinates us to believe that hard-work and ability provides success even in the absence of opportunity and access.

Choose to take up your burden, make it our burden, and say

You are, so I am.