Remember the Time

Do you remember when cartoon show the big black woman yelling, having attitude loud always mad

Do remember black exploitation films that depicted our people as pimps prostitutes always negative people nothing positive, just sad

Do you remember when the only shows that showed Africans were shows like Tarzan

Do you remember sitting in history class being told your people were slaves and only being told of Dr. Martin Luther King as a positive black man, you know there were more, right?

Do remember when the tide began to shift and I motto was black pride

as we wore our African colors walks with our heads held high in a confident stride

Remember when you would watch TV and the families had positive personas of people who looked like you

Remember when you felt safe on your own block because you knew everybody and they all knew too

Remember when you watched “Eyes on the prize” and saw how hard the kids and adults fought to get into better schools

Remember when your parents reminded you of this as a put they foot in yo ass when you went to school and acted like a fool

Remember when there was a code to gangs,  not on sundays in front of  churches, no kids and when you would fight you would use a knife

a broken bottle, baseball bat or even catch a brick upside your head but still, you had your life

Remember when we took care of elderly, had block clubs/parties and the code of “what happens in my house stays in my house”

When little boys played marbles and baseball in the alleys and little girl’s biggest concerns was what pants will go with Barbies blouse

Remember when all you wanted to do was go outside and play

dodge ball ,Piggy, hopscotch, Jack’s and cartoons all the time everyday

well those days are long gone and have slowly went on their way

Replaced by cyber bullying, poor test scores broken homes and the biggest accomplishment is to live to see another day

but now my heart just bleeds for children and adults who don’t realize their worth,

little boys in love with the violence glamorized on TV and rap music in the big-screen and our girls biggest goals are to be rich in learning how to twerk

but be encouraged and strong  my people, my family, my friends for God has not abandoned us yet

just know that these horrific times will eventually pass and as a people we will return to our position of power, unity and love on this you can bet