Raw words, real feelings

Roots

it's so beautiful when I see a sister speak up

use the art of language to express the emotions of the unknown

for her an unwanted custom

it's so beautiful when I see a sister speak up

use the power of her voice to contradict her oppressors

it's so beautiful when I see a sister

telling the story of what we hide

of what the exterior may not see and what they may not whisper about

of oppression and refusal to embrace our cultural story

it's so beautiful when I see a sister

wearing her hair the way it grew out of her scalp

not wear a waist trainer to hide the tracks of a long history in touchable despair

it's so beautiful when I see a sister

choosing her partner without any prejudice

the words of bad parental advice ringing in her ear

it's so beautiful when I see a sister

choose a man that is not a blanquito pa' mejorar la raza

it's so beautiful when I see a sister

understand there is no such thing 

that if we can be proud of our paiz

we must be proud of ourselves first

our curvy body and tangly hair

that we are no different even though the vecino is lighter than we are

that we don't have to hide our culture and beliefs from the nation we immigrated to

it's so beautiful when I see a sister

understand that race like beauty is in the eye of the beholder

that we don't have to walk or talk differently when a person that comes first in the racial pyramid passes by

that we can only stop this offense if we- minorities- collude and don't attack each other

if we don't do an all-black show or an all-Latino cook-out

but include everybody because we've all been oppressed in some kind of way

even if it's the web of lies that didn't let you see the reality of things

it's so beautiful when a sister

dares to say I'm beautiful

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