I Am Black

I'm black
with red flowing in our vein
Yes, I have a witty brain
As smart as my enslaved ancestors
Does that make me fraudulent?

I'm black
Not with a charcoal bone
no one represents me 'cos I'm me
Even if a thousand black commit a crime
Does that mean I'm a criminal?

I'm black
not with coal in the cranium
Open-minded about culture 'cos I'm cultured
My forefathers may be gullible
I do not inherit their stupidity. I'm me

I'm black
In censored regalia with royal presence
with moral culture and civil civilization
If you lack what I possess
Are you qualified to call me crude?

I'm black
not with a darkened heart
with my lows and highs
praise my prosperous highs
slander my lows but not my Melanie