I descended from the blood of kings and queens in an ancient land.
They didn’t know I was the original face of man.
We built the world through hard work and oppression.
The story of my survival could be the world’s greatest lesson.
Once bound against my will and left in a worthless spot.
Now I love my heritage abundantly and know I’m worth a lot.
Evil men taught the world that I was the lowest form of evolution.
Yet me and my people helped the world win revolutions.
I made strides in this land that wasn’t meant for me.
Even when America didn’t want us we made her history.
Black people. Forever fighting battles we didn’t get to choose.
We’re still in it to win it and we will never lose.
We fight battles with our will, but win wars with our minds.
Resourcefulness in our community is never hard to find.
They think we’re savages, but we believe in community.
Through struggle we know the power of unity.
We became soldiers, lawyers, doctors as well as teachers.
Artist who embodied all the world’s greatest features.
They used to kick us out and never wanted to let us in.
Now they all follow the lead of the melanin.
We are all creators making facts together.
Strong enough to carry the whole world on our backs together.
Utterly beautiful creatures that are Black together.
Life may be temporary but being Black is forever.
About the Creator
Joe Patterson
Hi I'm Joe Patterson. I am a writer at heart who is a big geek for film, music, and literature, which have all inspired me to be a writer. I rap, write stories both short and long, and I'm also aspiring to be an author and a filmmaker.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insight
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Keep reading
More stories from Joe Patterson and writers in Poets and other communities.
Comments (6)
Speak on it Joe! Bold & Beautiful! 🫶🏾💝
Fabulous ♦️♦️♦️♦️
Very powerfully written, Joe <3
White as a ghost here, but I support. ⚡💙⚡
A great voice of a culture that has made life-changing contributions to music, history, television amongst all the great things one can think of!
This is amazing! As you know, I'm mixed. My father was Black. My ancestors were stolen Africans. My 6th great-grandfather ran from a SC rice plantation at 15 to fight for the British in the American Revolution. He gained passage to Canada as a result. My great grandfather and grandfather served in WWI when the British and Canadian Military didn't want them. They begged to serve. BEGGED.And then they got the No 2 Construction Battalion. My father served in Korea when he couldn't even eat in some restaurants in his own country. I write about my ancestors because the stories need to be told. I write because I'm called to. I write to honour their resilience and strength, even though my white looking face has shielded me from much. Kudos to a powerful piece that should be a top story.