In a nutshell, simply put, 'Dehumanized'
But then again... it was appropriate behaviour in those times...wasn't it?
Because we were not considered human,
And still you say that we don't need...
We need because it is a continuous struggle!
It is a continuous struggle!
You say that we have come thus far...
You ask, "Why do you still insist upon poisoning the minds of the young with these atrocities?"
"What good would that do for you?" you ask
You say that we have risen, and ask that we continue rising...
You ask, "Why look back?"
You ask, "What Motherland? Why are you chanting back to Africa?"
You ask, "Why do you still insist upon reparation? Reparation for whom or for what?"
You ask, "Aren't you in this day and age a bona fide, creolized West Indian?"
I say, that that may be true,
But where is my origin?
How did I get here?
Tell me, where did I come from?
Tell me, what blend or mix up ness make me?
Tell me about the composition of the blood that made me...creolized...
Tell me about that treacherous Trans Atlantic journey!
Tell me about the struggle...
For me to be the free black person...that I am today...
And you still have the heart to say that we don't need...
We need because it is a continuous struggle!
It is a continuous struggle!
You see the reality is that on the world stage,
One thing that defines us, is the inability for others to see past our melanin,
Because no matter who we become or where we are from,
No matter our circumstance, no matter where we go, or what we achieve,
We are first and foremost defined and will forever be branded and defined as BLACK...
And yet you ask, "Why is there the need to year after year feature Black Heroes and She-roes?"
You ask, "Why do you still need to shout, "I am Black and I am Proud"
You ask, "Why do you still need to reaffirm yourselves that Black is Beautiful?"
You ask, "And by God, what is with this Black Consciousness thing?"
You see the reality is on the world stage...black isn't defined as beautiful
You see the reality is we still use phrases such as "as black as sin, black mail, black hole, black ball, black book, black listed,"
Black is seen as evil, ignorant and dumb...no semblance of beauty
No demarcation of the GOOD...
And you still have the heart to say that we don't need...
We need because it is a continuous struggle!
It is a continuous struggle!
You say that after 200 years, there is simply no need,
You say that the world is fully aware,
And that the world will not forget,
But I say that there is a need, for us as a people,
To celebrate and commemorate each and every milestone in our history as a people,
For chattels nor slaves we are no longer,
Illiterate we are no more,
Our schools are teeming with little black boys and girls,
And they said that the Black man did not have the ability to comprehend...Ha!
Yet now we are inventors, musicians and scholars,
Not the dark coloured, two legged brutes they thought we were...
And you still have the heart to say that we don't need...
We need because it is a continuous struggle!
It is a continuous struggle!
We now have the coveted adult suffrage,
Our futures we can now decide,
Free to roam wherever we may please,
It is scintillating to say the least,
Because we are no longer the possession of another,
A black man's land is his land,
A black man's house is his house,
A black man's wife and children are his,
A black man FINALLY has this thing called freedom...
And you still have the heart to say that we don't need...
We need because it is a continuous struggle!
It is a continuous struggle!
And you see this word called FREEDOM
This seven letter word called freedom,
This GRAND freedom thing...
It is what we now POSSESS!
And for this reason and for this reason alone...
I am telling you that we do NEED!
We need to celebrate,
We need to commemorate,
"FREE AT LAST!
FREE AT LAST!
THANK GOD ALMIGHTY&WE ARE FREE AT LAST!"
We need because it is a continuous struggle!
It is a continuous struggle!
