Dear Black Man Poem by Colette Dright

Black Man, Black Man - Why do you kill yo Brother Man?
I don't want us known or considered as "Less Than"
Black Man I'm asking you, please don't kill your Brother
Don't you know that when you kill there will never be another?

Black Man when you kill, another Brother is decease
Black Man when you kill, you sign a long term lease
Because you did not know your worth and what you mean to me
You are now spending 30 years locked up in Cell Block D

Black Man don't you understand, we need the both of you?
But one is dead and one in jail and now we are down two
Two Black Men not around, two sons lost, this didn't have to be
And now so much hurt and pain to both the family

Your reaction to act quickly and pull the trigger on the gun
Has left a child without her father and a mother without her son

Your failure to see how each family is affected
Causes children growing up fatherless feeling abandon and neglected
Jail house visits, cemetery visits, it's not just you that you fail
Living behind bars each day, hoping someone sends you mail

Is Freedom that bad? Life got you that mad?
That's what you call livin' yo best life by livin' in a cell?
Where somebody gotta tell you when to eat, pss and ssh
More like the worst version of hell

Sleeping in a cell, money on yo book
All because of the inner anger his life you chose and took
Why put us women in a position where we have to do both
Carry our child and bury our child and sit with you in court?

GOT DAMN YOU BLACK MAN, why don't you wake up and understand
Understand and know your worth
And not put another Black Man on the front of a t-shirt

We don't wanna see you behind a glass window or even in a casket
We want you in the grocery store with us pushing the shopping basket
We want you to be around, to laugh and hold and play
We want you to be around, be free to enjoy each day
We want you at the park, at the school and even the dinner table
We got mortgage, rent and lights, ssh we even gotta pay cable
Don't put all these damn responsibilities on me
Plus I need you here at home in case I want the "D"

But for real Black Man, you are our creation for the next generation
We would be broken and lost, our world would be shattered
You shouldn't be dead or in jail, Black Man you truly matter

Think about what it is, what future do you have
What example to show your son
If every time to solve your anger, you're quick to pull a gun

It was sad for me to hear a young sister say
When she wakes up every morning she asks, "Who gon die today? "
Because there are 3 to 4 murders a day and it's not even a shock
For a Black Man to be gunned down and shot dead upon her block
It's becoming the norm to her and that's so sad to hear
That those who started in the beginning won't make it through the year

We shouldn't just be outraged when our Black Man life is taken by the white man and then expect it to be "The Norm" when the Black life is taken by the Black Man. Understanding the value, the struggles, the strength, the power of the Black life should matter even more to the Black Man.

Love your brother, unite with your brother, make peace with your brother. Let your brother live. Let us all live, live to tell the story.

So, before you react, take a step back
Turn your body around and put that gun down
Dear Black Man, You are the Man
Your future and destiny is in your hand

Black Man, Black Man, please know what you mean
YOU hold the key to create our future Kings and Queens
Find another solution to resolve the situation
Instead of turning it into a deadly altercation

Think before you shoot and kill
Take a walk, calm down and chill

Black Man, you are destined for Greatness!
You are The King and Head of the House
I don't wanna be a widow or considered a single spouse

We need you - The both of you
Black Man, can't you understand
I don't want you in jail - I don't wanna see you shot
We need you around Black Man, for we are all we got

Black Man - We Love You, we really, really do
Dear Black Man - It is true, that there is no one else like you!