Before She Was Black Poem by Randy McClave

Before she called herself black,
She was Indian and Jamaican
Her true ethnicity she had forsaken,
Honesty, they say she does lack.

Before she was an African American,
In Jamaica and India her parents were born
To America her allegiance was sworn,
Before she was black, she was Indian and Jamaican.

Before she was a Negro,
She lived in a black neighborhood
Which housed blacks and immigrants bad and good,
In her soul and thoughts they did grow.

Before she was called colored,
She was black as she had believed and thought
She was stating her beliefs that was taught,
As a youth that belief she mothered.

Before the laws of the land he did fight,
He was born with a silver spoon and very greedy
He was a racist a bigot and and a bully and a con and seedy,
Before he was orange, he was white.

Randy L. McClave