Poem Of The Month (June

I Rise…..2K Style

I rose from the depths of the cargo ships

From the middle passage way to the chains and whips

And the Jim Crow, you know how it went

When my brother looked at a girl and was burned and lynched

From ah, Claude Neal, Emmitt Teal, Medger Evers

Me, forget where I come from, my past, never!

I rose, from the strange fruit that Billie Holliday sang

From the castrations, rapings and the tree where I hang

From the Negro Leagues to the Civil Rights Act

When I was known as either a Negro, colored, but not black

I rose from the Nation Of Islam to the Black Panthers

When my black fist were raised at the national anthem

From the NAACP, SNIC, AND SCLC

Led by Elijah, Martin, Malcolm and also Stokely

From Jack Johnson, Jackie Robinson, and Jim Brown

I will always rise and I’ll never be held down

I rose from Joe Gilliam, Doug Williams, to Warren Moon,

Now its Pat Mahones, Deshaun Watson, and Lamar Jackson will be shining soon

I rose from no wages, to minimum wage, to highly paid

From walking or running, now pushing Cadillac Escalades

The rags on my back, are now tailored suits

Was a Private, now I’m a General, now I get the salutes

No telling what the future holds but don’t be surprised

I might be the President of the U.S. because I rise, I rise