Rebirth of a Nation

First, arriving in chains and shackles
Mind racing; prepared for battle,
in a land not my own.
Stripped from my home,
Humiliated, whipped, raped and frightened to the bone...
In this hell; I felt alone.

Then, they say 'you're free'
Was I supposed to be happy?
That I was working for
Zero fees, tilling, nurturing, and pleading on my hands
and my knees
Unable to read... please!

Finally, I began to fight.
Fought for liberation and rights
Fought not to see my brother's body
dangling from Great Oaks at night
Struggling to survive, vote, learn
...and,
We shall overcome... someday?

They didn't want me to know.
When I figured it out, they implemented COINTELPRO
...and, burned down my community.
But my immunity to downfall at the hand of oppression
Left me standing in solidarity with
those just like me.

Now, the day has arrived.
And, I must believe my eyes because
Black Lives... They Matter
If I walk up to the White House door and knocked,
A brown face would answer.

In a sea of faces pride spreads,
Similar to the effects of cancer, but not as negative
For the most part, they're letting me live
What once had to be taken, some now give
...respect, admiration and the ability to have dignity.

Yes, even though, some still feel the need to depict me as a monkey.
We finally - THANK GOD - We FINALLY
Got... us... FREE!!