The Awakening Poem by Keith Ricardo Williams

i remember when they were whipping, lynching, cotton pickin niggas
wearing sheets, hanging people in the streets
crosses burning, stomaches turning because we couldn’t eat
nothing but the scraps from your table
we rebelled, and somehow we were able
to stand strong, say it’s wrong, to sing the song
we shall overcome
still you thought we were dumb
first separate, but equal
until we went to school with your people
even pastors in church steeples shouted profanity
how dare they claim to be a part of humanity
picaninnys, and monkeys
we wanted 40 acres, and a donkey
afros, black power, Martin, Malcolm, Steve Biko, and Mandela
rose to tell ya
no more, no more
still you kept killing
Children in Atlanta
Children in South Africa
Children in America
Children marching for civil rights universally
thousands died, millions cried
peace, peace, but there is no peace
whips, firehoses, dogs tearing flesh
anger erupts i must confess about damn time
by any means necessary
nations at war internally
the world begins to see we’ll die
to be apart of humanity
and we’ll destroy your families
so they murder two Kennedy’s, Martin, Malcolm, and Biko
there are hundreds of names not mentioned
as if there will be a sequel
people, people march on Washington, Soweto
the anthem the world is a ghetto
riots, riots, now you can’t deny it
our children with guns saying go ahead and try it
Jesse Jackson yelling I am somebody
Farrakhan, and a million man march
sharpton for president
jesse for president
obama for president
and you said we weren’t intelligent
but you still can’t build our pyramids
believe we are one
you say you come from mountains in Russia
when history teaches Africa
now your own children laugh at ya
see your lies, your alibis
Martin’s dream coming true
a melting pot with all races becoming one
so to all white camps you run
white power, black power, yellow power, red power
died with Hitler, Admiral Ito, Napeleon, Idi Amin,
and all those idiotic people
we are one under one church steeple
i didn’t talk about religion today people
the revolution will not be televised was bullshit
Rodney King, OJ acquitted, but a nation says he did it
so they lynched him in civil court
a body severed in Texas
dragged behind a truck like a sport
Virginia Tech,9-11, Iraq
after this short message i’ll be right back
POW, BANG BOOOM,
WILL KEITH DISCUSS RASICM TOMORROW
WILL HE CONTINUE TO TACKLE INJUSTICE
OR WILL REDBUBBLE CENSOR HIM LIKE NUDITY
TUNE IN TOMORROW
SAME BAT TIME
SAME BAT CHANNEL

THE AWAKENING