MY RITES OF PASSAGE

I woke up in the motherland/animal skin and spears/representing my tribe/raising villages/unity

I woke up in chains/heavier than my body weight/colonizers came in/ransacked and taken from my home/shipped to a new world/ given a new name

I woke up in shackles/ iron on my wrists and ankles/became someone’s property/ our families were separated/ my people were sold

I woke up with whips on my back/picking cotton/serving our masters/no means to escape

I woke up in broken chains/civil war ending/emancipation/ became the minority

I woke up marching/regaining our independence/overcome the trials of equality

I woke up a revolution/by any means necessary/pursue King’s dream/black fist/black power/black pride/united or be defeated

I woke up in Self-Destruction/war on drugs/war on violence/live by the gun, die by the gun/not safe in the streets

I woke up with lives matter/walk with a million men/take a stand at the women’s march/fight for the lives of the people by saying his or her name

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I woke up in America/defend my people/rebuild my community/fight for our justice/survive for our humanity

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