The warmth of the sun is reflected in my skin

We have sepia tones and copal brown skins

Enriched melanin

From a young age we learn and encourage to

Take pride in ourselves

Martin Luther fought with manners and decorum

And so it breaks my heart

It saddens me to know

That we put good and bad labels on our skin

Just so

People bring ill publicity to a culture that

Is so proud to get so far

If they didn’t fight what would we have ?

What would we be ?

Just share croppers still

Or separate bathrooms

But these were earned and got better over time

Because of ones who fought

So you can be proud of your identity

You forsake the beautiful dark skin color

And the cocoa brown skin color

Or too light skinned color because you feel

That another color is better

Committing crime after crime

And still be willing to be send or to do the time

Living ignorant life styles being vile and hostile

Forgetting the tales of your history book

And ancestors

I may have not been discovered in the womb yet but I

Recall textbooks being read by my mom to this little black girl

I’m sure you’ve heard them too

The free slaves sang and encouraged their children

To go to school and learn

To go to school and learn as a black was

Not easy then,but it is now

We should be grateful for that

Show some concern

Don’t be idle and let it go to waste

Though I pray for my fellow youth

To know that their skin is a beautiful race

If you were born here or in another country with melanin

In your skin

Despite your status of immigration

To be black in this country is a strong sense of pride

And relation to this nation

So much fights and protests and boycotts

So Sydney Portia can

Come to this nation , to succeed and not just

Represent black bajians

So much time taken so you and your friends can sit in the back of the bus

Without a fuss

You affect the world because you a free

And you are dark skinned

And you are cocoa brown skin

Stand up and have black pride

No matter where you go

Be proud of where your ancestors come from

Be a proud African American

A proud African American

This is me

Be proud.