They took our continent.
We immediately built three.
They tried to silence us by taking our words.
We created a new language to communicate.
They wouldn’t let us read maps.
We read the stars and walked north.
They took our drums.
We made music with our mouths.
They chained our legs.
We created the samba and mambo.
They hurt our bodies.
We fortified our spirits.
They took our food.
We created cuisine using their scraps.
That’s who we are.
We can make something out of
nothing so good they either want
to steal it or buy it back.
They thought they were burying us.
They were merely planting us so we
could grow stronger and flourish.
That’s who We are.
That’s who You are.
Happy Black History Month.

written by CHRISCIA M. JACKSON