by Kei’Arri McGruder
As I walk down the street I see all these eyes on me as if I’m nothing but a lowdown dirty criminal
The white lady clenches her purse, making my head go lower and lower, knowing that she sees me as a danger
How can a black man be so ashamed of something he should praise being with open hands?
Each and every day, I fight back against the guns, drugs, tempta- tions of girls I would love to ummmm …but I don’t budge
Can’t even wear the wrong color knowing a young dark-skinned brother might mistake me for another
Then pow, shoot me dead and yet again another dead son for an unfortunate mother
It happens so often. That’s why I have to stay cautious
Not trying to be a baby daddy at 16, shi , please, does it look like I want some kids? Nah, bro, not me
Or even jail before I hit 18. They will not take my dignity away from me behind bars. I won’t let that happen to me
But because I am me, people only see what they wanna see
Not the true me but the painted picture of a young black man the way they think I’m supposed to be
Have to keep my hands in my pants walking into the store not trying to have the security follow me around anymore
They expect me to exceed in sports like football or on the courts Not in academics, like math or physics
I’m expected to underachieve, to not succeed
Because I’m a shade too dark to be smart
They think we all bang, talk in slang, dress with our pants past our waists and have no home training
And when they ask my mom’s name, ha, they expect me to say Quanisha, Bonquesha, Kisha
Names they think are common for all black queens
Just another stereotype, because it seems as though if her name ends in such a sound— sha or quee—
She’s just another ghetto lady with a messed-up weave and 20 kids who don’t even know their own daddy
And gen American expects me to turn out to become a deadbeat, but nah, not me
I’m breaking these boundaries
Creating a man out of me, someone America doesn’t wanna see
They will try to break me, shake me, and maybe even beat me, but I will prosper
and
become a legacy
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