My blackness is my culture
I am black

Maybe African, maybe Jamaican
I may not know my ancestry
But I'm damn sure proud of my history
I am black

My afro speaks volumes as it is my crown
The golden glow of my skin reflects the riches of my melanin
I am black

Not some type of food; seriously, how hard is it to say I'm beautiful and leave it there?
You wouldn’t go up to a white woman and call her powdered sugar
Stop calling me milk chocolate and cocoa
I am black

Not a picture society has painted of me
Not a blank canvas either
But a canvas of memories,
My memories,
My mom's memories,
Her mom's memories,
Her mom’s mom’s memories,
Memories going so far back in history that they have forgotten to write it down in the books,
The truth is so scary that they hid everything they took

I am black
The chains don’t drag me down but remind me of where I'm from and just how much farther I'm going,
And I will keep going
I AM BLACK