The Color of Me

What color am I?

I am the color of an African princess,

the color of a woman who wears jewels upon her crown.

I am the color of coal, so dark...so strong

the color of midnight, bold and mysterious.

I am the color of slaves with lashes on their backs

the color of fresh wounds and open flesh.

I am the color of weary feet and broken backs,

the color of a tired people...of saddened eyes.

I am the color of a people that have been oppressed

and still trying to climb the walls of success.

I am the color of people still shunned and dismissed

of people disregarded and disrespected.

I am the color of women with wide hips and men with big noses

the color of people with lips spread far and wide to sing the song of our spirits,

the people with voices that speak a significant story.

I am the color of women stolen from their men,

of sons and daughters sold for labor.

I am the color of a mother that has to raise mulatto children

and endure the stare from eyes with daggers.

I am the color of a people so beautiful & strong...of a people that stand together.

I am the color of my ancestors!