Walking While Black Poem by Raj Dronamraju

What do you mean going outside with the wrong color so that everyone can see you?
You are officially asking for harassment
It's a crime that I can so easily characterize you
And when you change color, you can hail a cab or not be stopped by police
They lost the war between the states but they won the war against dignity

The monochrome bigots will put race in front of humanity
They must rule over the whole spectrum of shades and hues and they do this by defining you
Stereotypes are their weaponry for crowd control

Your big fat profile hanging out and drawing attention on a moonless night
They first grab hold of your skin then they'll make judgements on your clothing
It's in their purview to put you down
Racism allowed because it is in a training manual somewhere

This is Sgt Jim Crow of the Chameleon Enforcement Squad
My job is to hang on to every last vestige of slavery
We'll name you as animals and as criminals
A more palatable word for the public so they won't complain