What does it mean to be African American ?
Is it just the way I look
Or the nation I’m assigned to
Can it be defined in a book
Or conveyed through blues
What does it mean to be African American ?
It means acknowledging the struggles we face
It means opposing the pressure that stops me from finishing the race
It’s an early Sunday morning embracing my faith
It’s a feeling when you step outside and your heart begins to pace
It’s a pride knowing that your history can lie on a shoelace
It’s a beauty to be African American
All of my culture may not be put on display
But it’s a reality feeling the empowerment that I feel everyday
It’s a beauty to be African American
I hope all my people know that ,
Just because you have dark skin doesn’t mean there’s a skill that you lack
To be black is an honor
An honor to bear this skin color
And the culture that comes with it
An honor to have a brother that’s not of my blood
Or survive these waves of oppression that’s growing like a flood
It’s a beauty to be African American
And hold the love that I hold for those that look like me
To strive and test until we’re all free.
So , if you happen to come across a little bee that ask
What does it mean to be African American?
Tell him it means to be proud of who you are
To never be afraid to raise a hand
To always look past the clouds into the stars
And to remember your place , in the motherland
Second Place Winner for the African American Poetry Contest: Keanan Berry
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