For My People

Pushed back to the edge of the page

with your white skin, green stacks

America’s Raid

the toxins seduce our contempt

muddle our rage

 

Some aren’t so lucky, they get pushed off

or they treat us like projects in their vials

confine us to ghettos, a hole in one

as they swing and miss our faces

until an entire people is undone

 

LeBron and Cam are special

because they’re athletes, built to entertain

I guess if we’re still on the plantation

I’m allowed to whip this fucked up shit till it bleeds from your veins

 

Water, water, it runs so dry

in these schools they vomit in filthy quarters

in these homes they vomit in filthy quarters

in these lives they vomit until they reside

to die, in these filthy quarters

 

Give me a pen, I make things happen

Give me a breath, I make things happen

Give me a hand, we make things happen

Give me hands, we make this happen

no bits on “racial diversity”, just action

 

Equality doesn’t need money, just your head

Equality doesn’t need committees, just hands

Equality doesn’t need votes, just hearts

you have no concept of the struggle

yet are the thing tearing us apart

 

White ass bitch, you don’t speak for me

unless you’ve got my skin, can’t vouch for me

unless you’ve got my chains, don’t pretend as if you were on that ship

you have no idea what it’s like to throw your own children overboard

 

To protect them from slavery, they killed

To protect them from the hatred, they killed

To protect them from the abomination, they killed

and yet they couldn’t save them all

Harriet, Frederick, couldn’t save them all

 

I’ve got royalty in my DNA, and that is true

we were kings and queens

we ruled and reigned

our wealth spanned the ages

now we make up the footnote of your pages

 

But not for long, the time is now

to put the hate to rest

and I’d hate to rest until the pain

is not tolerated, but addressed

and I need all of you

 

I need of all us who have felt the scorn

to rise up and find their fire

in fighting for us, you fight for you

so sit back and let it unfold

or give what you can for a cause that’s true