A Thought on the Issue of Race by a Young Black Man

The world tells me what like and dislike
The world tells me I how I act and think
I see those around me listening to the world and falling below the ground
And I wonder if this is due to a difference of style
The bullheadedness of youth
Or the harshness of the city
I can’t speak for the city
I do not live in it and I was not born in it
I can however discuss what I think and what I see
I wonder what of this culture should I accept as culture
And what of this culture I should accept as I, farce, and mockery
I can respect rap
I do
Tupac and Dre
But

50 cent and Lil John
I think they are fools
doing and saying nothing
And making it seem great
by having wealth and power
They don’t use
Nor do they use their own style but water down the styles of
those came before them

Enough of That
Once I doubted my own blackness
Because
The world does not tell us
that what we see on TV
and on the movie screen
and on MTV
is often a stereotype
easily identifiable
to sell
and gain our
our hard earned dollars

but now I realize
That as long as I take pride
in the strength courage and creativity
of those of my race that came before
I am doing all I can do to be black
That and try to make sure that my people do not become
what the world tells them they are

This country was built on the backs of my forbearers
for more than slavery
For more than war
For more than entertainment
For more than athletics
For more than manufacturing
For more than art
And even though we were its legs
We were treated as a canker
We were constantly told we were a problem
Then that we had problems
We do but we must believe we can rise above them
For my ancestors did time and time again

We must speak together
Work together
Laugh together
And cry together