Slave Mentality Poem by Natasha McGee

I think of times when my parents use to say
They have to pick cotton in the field each and every day
They would tell me how it made them feel
To know how race in the south back some years
They speak of the injust and to be thought of as slaves
When they would do their best to make it through another day
My mom would say the temps would be in the 90 degrees
And they would take short breaks sometimes just to eat
I wonder to myself how could they go on
To know God's Grace help them with a song
I tried to imagine how things use to be
To be considered less than dirty by the majority
Know I know the feelings they must have endured
To be abused and mistreated and still struggled through
To know their race had to played a huge part
In segregation, racism and hateful things from the start
I faced just those not those so simple things
I thought it can't been happeing till I heard Let Freedom Ring
I think to myself how can this be
No justice, No freedom, No democracy
I see people of my own race
Disgrace me with their participation and events that take place
I use to think I'm black and I'm proud
Until I look around and seen the crowd
I see people of my own race
Not white, but black participate
Racism was a way to unleash one's fear
Not to let blacks have a say or any tears
I see people of my own race
To engage in injustice and slave mentality in my face
They seem to forget where slaves had to endure
Lynching, hanging and being abused
I think to myself they choose not to see
What happen to slaves, continues to be
One can look the other way and pretend not to see
Racism, injustice and inhumanity
I see people of my own race
I feel sadness, heartbroken and disgrace
I know my words may seem not the case
But when you look in Mirror what do you say
I'm not a Racist, that's what I see
But far from the truth for you and for me
Maybe, one day blacks will come to see
Racism didn't start in the black community
It started when slavery took away your name
No fame, No fortune and others were to blame
I think of the feeling I have today
A Black woman against Racism and Slave mentality everyday
Only with time can Racism heal
No matter how hard you fight on the battlefied
It's a word that means fear against one's race
I already know what has taken place
A great man once said 'Let Freedom Ring'
Back when all slaves could do was sing
So I keep in my heart a solemn prayer
Let freedom Ring everywhere