Why did the people stop singing?
And those smiles that glows bright-like sunset, or heaven’s light,
That once darken our skins-truthfully it needs to be a sin,
That our skin is being tone by bleach, maybe we need to re-teach,
The truth and pain about beauty being skin deep.
When in the past we undergo the struggles-trying to unravel our skin.
Blessed with us since creation, as if we had an option in the formation.
Why did the people stop being so strong and dreaming?
I thought we wanted freedom from all those screaming?
When we walked for more then 300 days and nights.
When we marched our ways to escape and mark the knights.
And let’s act like: the segregation, the threats, the KKKs, 9/11,
The holocausts, and the discrimination, are anything but-heavenly treatments.
Let’s act like we are not in knowledge of the causes, and the tears and pains
That broke even Gabriel’s heart, and alienate sirens.
Than why are we enslaving ourselves?
Education is free-yet we run the other way, in the foot steps of ignorance.
Persecution is slavery-yet we chose to follow the path of stupidity,
Which leads nowhere to salvation or even reservation.
And now the “Blue eyes/Brown eyes” is on the horizon while we sit and watch
Our children and friends seize prejudice, and discrimination into their minds.
Although we know it gives the false presence of supremacy-but we know the truth.
And I said STOP. But what is I in a place filled with a million,
When others sit and watch the damage of RACISM.
And now-TODAY is the time for us to be one and learn the power of STOP.
jpd
on Apr 3rd, 2009
@ 12:53 am:
Oh, Sugar, it’s a big ‘ol mess! (race relations– NOT your poem!)
But in 2009, does anyone in America feel truly oppressed? Doesn’t anyone feel even a little bit happy about how far we’ve all come?
Maybe I’m reading this wrong. Maybe that’s the message you were saying. “why are we enslaving ourselves?”
I followed the link to Jane Elliot’s website and now I am more confused than ever.
jpd – parent to two blue-eye blonde boys. Their mother re-married a black Haitian. I also get giggly-fits whenever I’m in the presence of a stunning human being; black, purple or whatever color they may be…
sugar
on Apr 3rd, 2009
@ 10:56 am:
This poem was writing in 2007 for racism day poetry contest, which I won second place. The statement ‘enslaving ourselves’ means keeping our emotions and letting peer pressure consume us. It’s basically means letting someone control you, make decisions for you, and following trends and the media instead of yourself.
The blue eyes/brown eyes was an experiment done for the other half who never been touched by slavery or discrimination feel what it is like. It’s also indicating that although we come a long way, discrimination is still growing, now it’s not just about skin color for some people, its about eye color, hair color, sexual preferences, religions, etc… They say discrimination happens more within a culture then outside, which is true because in the beginning slavery started within the same culture, it was about class, before it became about skin color. I know this also from experiencing, and from a group I used to be involved in called WAYVE (Working against Youth Violence Everywhere). I know this from hearing lectures from experts, and putting together presentations for middle schools and high schools about bullying, racisms, gangs, suicide, and etc… The blue eyes/brown eyes was an experiment we used without the students knowing, until they realize that everyone in the back roll were being picked on and they start realizing similarities between each other and differences between the students in the front.
jpd
on Apr 3rd, 2009
@ 7:25 pm:
Good evening Sugar!
“The statement ‘enslaving ourselves’ means keeping our emotions and letting peer pressure consume us.”
I agree with that 100%, although it’s a statement that goes WAY beyond racism. It’s more like “people-ism” than racism– it’s what we do, all of us, every day! We give WAY too much credit to what OTHER people think! We are like bacteria at times, replicating and regurgitating other people’s ideas whether they actually work or not.
“although we come a long way, discrimination is still growing”
I think I disagree with that. Race relations (in America) have never been better, and continue to improve with every new face-to-face interaction. Society is still a mess of contradictions– but race relations have improved in my opinion.
My belief if that people of all races, religions or persuasions are 99% the same. We all want love, friendship, families, security, etc… But we spend all our time arguing about the 1% that make people different from one another– trying to make them conform with (fill-in-the-blank)
We know not what we do.
sugar
on Apr 4th, 2009
@ 1:47 pm:
Keep in mind that this was written in 2007 and since then a lot of people (myself included) have been taking steps to ensure that discrimination (bullying, abuse,etc) and racism is not acceptable and that we need to understand that we have the power to STOP all those negativity around us (no matter how hard it is sometimes).