We’re all connected –
Black girls of my generation,
Like coiled hair in box braids,
Like the stars in a constellation,
Like we’re in on a secret
They’ve tried to bury,
But when we unearthed it
They started to worry.
Told us it doesn’t matter.
Told us it’s worthless.
Told us it was of no consequence
Because that secret was us.
And possessing this truth
Even though it’s no privilege,
It’s another obligation
We have to learn how to deal with;
To protect each other
Like the buried treasure we’ve always been,
To make sure the secret gets out,
To make sure we don’t fall back in.
We’re precious jewels,
We’re diamonds in the rough,
We’re under pressure to conform,
Because we’re more than enough.
We don’t fit the mold of
Eurocentricity;
Our jagged edges
Can cut through anything.
We’re not angry, we’re sharp
And being silenced cuts deep.
The kind of power black girls hold
Is not a secret anyone can keep.
We’ve got dirt in our lungs,
We’ve got bruises on our skin,
We’ve got blood in our teeth,
You see, there’s pain in melanin.
Bruises are our heritage,
We’re hurt and we’re scarred,
But the ugliness of the world
Does not reflect who we are.
We are stars,
Burning bright, unheard
And untouchable,
We’re precious stones
Never left unturned
And unbreakable.
Black girls struggle.
Black girls rock.
Black girls are magic,
But black girls are not.
Black girls laugh.
Black girls cry.
Black girls go missing
And no one asks why.
Black girls are suffocating,
In ways no one understands.
Did anyone try to #BringBackOurGirls?
And #WhatHappenedToSandraBland?
It’s a big deal
To be born in this skin.
It’s not a club
To let Rachel Dolezal in.
There’s no instruction manual,
Just a lot of terms and conditions.
Rebellion is the biggest risk;
Freedom is the mission.
Black girls are Amandla, Zendaya
Keke, Solange, and Nicki;
Black girls are Laverne, Lupita
Quvenzhané, Willow, and Gabourey.
And you might think
In all your outgroup bias
That we’re all jealous of Kylie,
But she’ll never ever know
How awful and wonderful it is
To be a black girl like me.
-Chido
January 9, 2016 at 5:34 am
perfection.
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January 27, 2016 at 10:38 pm
This is very beautiful!
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