WINNER
It’s October, remember?
In a world that judges without insight,
Our identities are trapped, held tight.
Defined by those who don’t truly know us,
Leaving us feeling lost and low.
We’re told to hide away, to conform,
Accepting a label that shouldn’t be the norm.
Told our dark skin makes us unworthy of love,
A narrative that’s been pushed from above.
Race, a construct born of ignorance and fear,
A response to differences that became severe.
Our brothers and sisters, bought and sold,
Taught their worth was lesser, with no chance to be bold.
Our purpose in life was silenced and lost,
Treated as if we were worth less than the cost.
Our protests deemed mere acts of aggression,
Fuelling stereotypes, pushing a false impression.
But why? What caused such harm and strife,
That white men couldn’t bear a peaceful life?
They subjected us to torment and despair,
The weight of their prejudice, too heavy to bear.
Being black became a crime, a societal disdain,
Stripped of humanity, considered a stain.
Our worth reduced to nothing more than a dime,
A perception that has permeated time.
Yet, is it all true, this portrayal of shame?
The notion that me being black is to blame?
We weren’t destined for turmoil and decay,
But sadly, it has become our everyday.
The pain we feel is achingly real,
A trauma that words can hardly reveal.
But it’s time to question the narratives we’re told,
To challenge the beliefs that have taken hold.
Being black does not mean we are lesser,
Not a burden, a looter, or an oppressor.
We’re not defined by hateful slurs and lies,
Our worth so much more than society implies.
Stop, and truly think before you speak,
Your words can cause wounds that go deep.
Rivers of migrants, rivers of blacks in this land,
But without us, tell me, would your wealth still stand?
In the face of adversity, we’ve persevered,
Building nations with struggles we have steered.
So think again, before you cast the blame,
Being black is not a source of shame.
We’ve carried the weight, the burden of this fight,
So the effects of our sisters that fought the norm will not be cast out of the light.
– Black in October, Black forever