I Didn’t Ask to be Black

In today’s society, there isn’t much racial violence as there is racial oppression. You see it in the news everywhere, and they’re basically saying, “Black people [people of any color] don’t have a right to protest.” I want to clear one thing up…I DIDN’T ASK TO BE BLACK, none of us did.

I didn’t ask to be black, my black brothers and sisters didn’t ask to be black. We didn’t form ourselves in the womb of our mother and say I want to be black hoping that one day we could be oppressed and racially profiled.

I didn’t ask to black in hopes that when I got older I had to fit my vocabulary and actions so the white man wasn’t offended. I didn’t ask to black so I could live my life as a young man in fear and hoping I don’t get shot just because I’m black. I didn’t ask to be black so that one day I could say, “I can’t wear this because I might get shot just because of my clothes.”

I DIDN’T ASK TO BE BLACK, NONE OF US DID, but since we were created to be black, we will live in power. We will show how much black power we have. We will stand up against affliction and oppression. We will live in better community as black brothers and sisters. We will stand up for what we believe even if it means taking a knee for a flag that we deeply respect. BECAUSE YOU SEE, WE DIDN’T ASK TO BE BLACK, BUT BECAUSE WE ARE BLACK WE CANNOT AND WILL NOT BE SILENCED. WE STILL BELIEVE IN THE WORDS OF THE OLD NEGRO SPIRITUAL, “FREE AT LAST, FREE AT LAST. THANK GOD ALMIGHTY, WE’RE FREE AT LAST.”