BROUGHT TO YOU BY
Supporters of The Garfield Messenger Benefactors Nancy Chapin Real Estate
TUTORING & TEST PREP
Lessons by Chris Morris-Lent • GHS ‘06 • Columbia ‘09
Math • English • ACT/SAT • College Apps
Guaranteed gains: +200 SAT • +4 ACT • 1 academic letter grade
“
Chris has a terrific sense of which colleges match which personalities.
”
—Carl M., parent of Ben, accepted to Whitman and 2 other colleges
“
Our daughter’s SAT score soared by 500 points! We unequivocally recommend Mr. Morris-Lent’s tutoring services to others.
“
”
—Jyoti N., parent of Karisma, accepted to the University of Washington
”
An absolute master at explaining difficult concepts. —Nate S., parent and software engineer
Learn more at www.seattlesbesttutor.com chris.morris.lent@gmail.com • 206-551-7843
2
The Garfield Messenger 02/25/2019 garfieldmessenger.com
Patrons Allen Cheadle John Hoyt and Aana Lauckhart Tana Lin and Paul Holland Carol Rava Jennifer Kerns and Greg Van Liew Phebe O’Neill Bridge Partners, LLC Elana Jassy Friends Catherine and Scott Henson Jill Hostetter Lisa Chrysanthakopoulos Avery Paddock Diana Peterson Allen Draher Jamie Katz and David Sharp Smidchens Family David Lundsgaard Heather and Chris Mefford Melanie Nalbandian Dana Armstrong Ilana Guttman Karin Brookes and Simon Woods Hannah Marshall Penelope West Kathleen Pape Sabrina K. Seward Anonymous x6 These contributions help make the production and publication of The Garfield Messenger possible. If you would like to support The Messenger, please contact us at garfieldmessenger@gmail.com
D
A collection of voices of Black seniors.
ear future Black student,
Please keep it up. Please don’t let yourself shrink. Don’t shy away. It’s gonna be hard. You will feel alone. But remember there’s strength in numbers. And change doesn’t happen overnight. Be your own biggest advocate. Teachers will overlook you especially in AP and Honors classes. You have to work harder than everyone else. Don’t be afraid to speak up. Advocate for yourself. Make yourself stick out. Make a good impression on your teachers. Come after school, ask questions. Don’t be passive. You have to take your academic future into your own hands cause no one’s gonna do it for you. Be assertive. Find your space. Try to find your people. Try to find a group or team that works for you so you can be successful. Know where you came from cause it’ll take you where you want to go. Know your history and don’t be ashamed of it. Don’t be ashamed of yourself. It’s not your job to make other people feel comfortable. Don’t let anyone bring you down. Be positive and do what you have to do. Let the stereotypes push you to go harder. Because they’re not true. Don’t believe in the nonsense. We are not less than. We are worth it. We can succeed in anything in life we put our minds to. Be yourself don’t feel pressure to be anybody else. Have fun but be goal-oriented. Surround yourself with successful people. Take risks that will help you in the long run. Don’t let the history die. Your voices need to still be heard. Don’t let them win with your silence. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Be a good ancestor. You’re not alone. We’ve been where you are. You are us.
CON
EDITORS DELPHI DRAKE-MUDEDE HAILEY GRAY COVER SHOOT DIRECTOR KE’VON AVERY COVER PHOTOS BY JEFFERSON ASHBY
ENT 6
STUDENT ART
8
FASHION
10
BLACK EXCELLENCE
12
POETRY
14
OPEN LETTERS
15
WRITING SUBMISSIONS
BY VARIOUS ARTISTS
FEATURING VARIOUS STUDENTS
FEATURING VARIOUS STUDENTS
BY VARIOUS WRITERS
BY NEW GENERATION AND SAV’ELL SMALLS
BY AZURE SAVAGE AND CARON ROSSMAN
B
la
c
k
e
x
c e ll e n c e a t G a rf ie ld th
ro
u
g
h
to
u
t
th
e
y
e
a
rs
RIGHT PAGE
Top Right: Paige Anderson, Top Left: Paige Anderson, Middle Right: Falisha Samuels, Middle Left: Aubrielle McNeil, Bottom Center: Cyhenna Hammond
Student
art LEFT PAGE
Top Right: Micheala Johnson, Bottom Right: Micheala Johnson, Top Left: Micheala Johnson, Bottom Left: Falisha Samuels
“ nineties and eighties and like mix that with a little stuff from now and viola”
DISPLAYING > BLACK > STYLE >
M ycha eL JUNio r
“I think sneaker culture is just so cool, like to be a woman, and to be able to like go out of the house in like sweats and something and still be socially acceptable is something I just love”
Sier ra Senio r
“ I won’t say I go for everything, but I do try to be different”
Ebonye senio r
AM 10:w30 FEB 25 2019
“ My style icons are Janelle Monae, Jessica KellgrenFozard,and Trixie Mattel”
JADE JUNioR
DyLaN S ophomo re
I L IKE YELLOW AND RED.I LIKE THINGS THAT HIGHLIGHT MY SKIN TONE, BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL. I ALSO JUST LIKE BRIGHT COLORS.”
NiKa JUNioR
“ I love neon, like that’s one of my favorites things to wear, like probably like orange and like green… just colors that make my skin pop
Celebrating
Art by Ariel Cook
BLACK excellence To celebrate Black History Month, we are recognizing Black Excellence here at Garfield. Over the years, Garfield has been a home to a talented black community, and to this day, our classmates continue to uphold this tradition. In this issue, we interviewed five black students from Garfield who are currently doing great things at Garfield and beyond. We asked them what they’re passionate about and what Black Excellence means to them. What activities are you a part of? I am an officer for LGBTQ Arts Club, Drama Club, and Improv Club. I do DP (Dramatic Paws) and I am going to be doing tech for the spring musical.
KEYA ABEGAZ What are some activities you are involved with outside of school? One of the main activities I’m involved in is a Teen Summer Musical. I’ve been involved for the past four years. Every day we have a rehearsal and then we put on a show at the end of the summer. Another thing I make time to do with my mother is supporting black owned businesses. What drove you to run for ASB? Well, I already felt like I have no problem with speaking how I feel about things. Also I saw that the Garfield ASB is not diverse. What that means is that it’s not multiethnic. I didn’t see a single African American male on ASB coming 2019 and above so I was thinking, well, I am African American and I am male. So why don’t I go and represent my community and be that
How did you get into Garfield theatre? My freshman year, the spring musical [for the Garfield Theatre Department] was In the Heights, so they were looking for more POC. Ms. Burton and my classmates urged me to audition for the musical. And I did the fall show last year which got me even more into theatre, and now I’m here! Do you think Garfield theatre is representative of the student body? It is not very representative of the student body here. I’m working on it and pushing for it a lot
voice that needs to push through and be heard. Do you see GTV as a part of pushing for representation? I definitely see GTV as a part of that. GTV gives students a visual of what ASB does and how fun it is. It lets students see that there is more to ASB than just planning dances. I’ve already heard people say, ‘Hey, you’re really cool at that, how do I sign up?’ And it’s not just my community saying this, it’s a whole bunch of people. And that’s one thing that I see, that GTV can really help attract multi-ethnic students. Has being on ASB changed or added to your list of goals? Being on ASB has added another goal. At first my goal was only to make it on screen, and I’m still working on achieving that. But
this year because we want to do more shows that are POC-oriented but not have the controversy that comes with it: having a mostly white cast. How has the theatre department been reaching out to more POC? Me and my friend have been doing more POC outreach and trying to get more people involved in Dramatic Paws. They are a lot less commitment than our ther mainstage shows. DPs are a nice way to get into theatre while making friends with those people, so if you decide to do something like the fall show or musical, then you already have friends going into it and coming in by yourself. What is your favorite aspect about theatre? I don’t have a favorite aspect, I like to do everything! I’ve tried a
little bit of everything. I’ve done acting, costuming, and this semester I’m doing tech. I’m just trying to figure out what I want to do. What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? Cookies and cream or cookie dough. Anything vanilla with a cookie base. What does Black Excellence mean to you? To me, Black Excellence is people who look like me in every aspect of my life. Seeing black people in tech, in ballet, or writers, or scientists, or in every field in my life that I’m interested in. Black Excellence is seeing people that look like you in those fields and going into them and not feeling alienated because of your skin tone.
now, since I’ve joined ASB, I don’t just want to be seen, I also want to be listened too. And I want to make sure, whether it’s in a movie or a commercial, that I’m being heard and my community is being heard. What’s your favorite movie? My favorite movie is Over the Hedge. What does Black Excellence mean to you? To me, it’s basically another way of saying black people are dope. And I don’t think it should mean that other communities aren’t, it’s just giving us the recognition that we haven’t really gotten yet. It’s saying: ‘Hey, all of you guys are excellent, we’re excellent too’ and it gives us another name to describe that we’re awesome.
KYRI MILLER
Ar t
A by
riel
Cook
CIPHER GOINGS
HErMELA SHIFERAW
CARON ROSSMAN
What activities are you a part of? At school, I’m a part of CORE, SAAC, and outside of school I tap dance at Northwest Tap Connection.
How has senior year been so far? It’s definitely the hardest year. You have to deal with school, college apps, and other extracurriculars. On top of that, you have to figure out how to fit in a social life and sleep. It’s very hard to balance.
What activities are you involved in? At school, I’m a part of Y-Scholars and Youth in Government. I’m also on ASB—I just recently won freshmen class president. Outside of school, I primarily run track.
What does dancing mean to you? Dancing has been my escape from the chaos of school and the stress of everything else. I spend a lot of time there, so I feel like it’s my second home and where I’ve made a lot of good friends, and I’ve just made really good connections with people there. I teach there now, and it’s also been helping me travel. Without it, I don’t think I would have had as much travel experience as I do—I’ve been to Brazil, Barbados, and different states, so yeah, it’s been cool. How has dance affected you? Since NW Tap Connections is race and social justice oriented, I’ve gotten a lot of leadership abilities through it because I teach and work with a lot of younger kids, so like I feel like I’m a better leader. Also, I feel like I’m in a space where I’m surrounded by people who look like me and talk about injustices, and then I get to portray that through my art. It’s made me realize this is what I want to do for the rest of my life, and I want dance to be the medium through which I portray what’s going on in the world. What’s your favorite movie? I really like kid movies, so Frozen’s one of my favorites. Also, Ant-Man and the Wasp. What does Black Excellence mean to you? To me, Black Excellence means accepting all the good, and honestly, the bad too. I feel like it’s just seen as black people executing what white people are also good at, but it’s also accepting what black people are good at. I feel like, for me, it’s just exceeding at everything, and also just accepting when we don’t exceed, and just appreciating the fact that we are still being ourselves in this white society. I feel like sometimes people see Black Excellence as only if you have that college degree, or if you have straight A’s, but really we need to be commending the people who just tried their best in whatever they did while being black, because that stuff is hard.
Last summer, you were an intern at Microsoft. How was that experience? Last summer, I interned at Microsoft with several other Garfield students. It was very interesting, culturally shocking for a little bit... we know that there aren’t a lot of women or people in color in tech. I think it’s just being in that environment can be a culture shock. It set me back a bit. The internship has definitely helped me find my interest in tech and computer science, so I am very grateful for that experience. What did you get out of this experience? It influenced what I want to major in. I know that I want to go into computer science and business. The internship has motivated me to inspire other women of color to have a general awareness of what the tech world is. Looking into the near future, what are your goals? Go to college and make some money! My biggest dream is to buy my parents a house. It’s something they’ve always wanted. I feel that I have to show my gratitude. If I can do that, then I know that I have made it in life. That would be my biggest life accomplishment. What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? Cookies and cream because I love Oreos. Cookies and cream is the closest thing you can get to having Oreos. Does a McFlurry count? What does Black Excellence mean to you? I think Black Excellence is promoting the black individuals who have gone on to do great things. These accomplishments aren’t talked about a lot. I think historically, black people have had to work very hard to create a positive image of themselves because society continues to give a negative image of a black person. These stereotypes are still here today because of the media and how they represent black people. People should look up to these accomplishments instead of the negative images portrayed in the media.
What motivated you to run for ASB? I’d never had the feeling of being comfortable as I am at school, and I thought it’d be cool to make sure that not everyone feels this way, and not just me. Are there any specific things you’ve tried to do so far to make people feel more comfortable at Garfield? Not yet. From what I’ve heard, freshmen year is primarily learning about your position, so I’ve just been learning from the people above me how to do my job, and once I get the hang of it, I’ll start. You have an interest in fashion, right? What started that or influenced you? My mother. She always has matching, crazy stuff, always has whatever’s in, always putting her own spin on it. She got me liking color coordination and just doing stuff a little bit out there. What has your experience been as a young person of color in the fashion world? Honestly, for me, it’s just like people telling you, “Oh, you belong to this one culture”, but I don’t think that one culture defines me, necessarily, like the way I dress, so I just pull stuff from whatever I like, and I put it all together. What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? My favorite ice cream flavor is mint chocolate chip. What does Black Excellence mean to you? Black Excellence, to me, is having high confidence in who you are and your natural features and what you want to do; not being told or confined that you can only do this or that and expressing yourself to the fullest extent. Anything else? Stay true to you, wear whatever you want to wear, and be free.
Gloria Kidd ‘97
I come to speak for all black woman. I stand tall for I am strong and proud. The way I walk and the way I talk makes me the essence of a black woman.
I am the black woman who represents all black woman. I am your young mother, you sister, you aunty, and you great, great, great, great grandmother for I was once you Queen. Yes, I was. Did I stutter? And now after hundreds of years of being enslaved, having my family taken away from me, and my blood being diluted, my brothas, my strong black brothas having seemed to turn against me. Lying to me, stealing from me, and even killing me and for what? And here I am putting my foot in the grave for you twice, Brotha, I think you better run a check. Raisin’ you kids, and damn there still raising you. But before I go, remember this. I am a black woman. You are to treat me with loving kindness, And if nothing else, respect. Or don’t treat me at all.
Lehacia Dubenion ‘71
I am Working on Myself For to get Myself to The point Where i am No longer Afraid to Say outloud Open What things So vital I do hold inside The terrorized doors Of my thoughts; For to let loose Run free proud These whispered Chained torments Of my mind; That i might Let them go, Today’s and Yesterday’s Now. And that their children Might not have To be shackled down at all, But might rather Break those shackles Down and Trample over them A path toward Being free; Working these things on myself That when my dying moments Settle in Around my living, I might now Have to leave No will To clear My home
Black Anger.
untitled.
Essence of the Black Woman.
BLACK
Vivian Stinson ‘74
As red as blood, Black Anger As calm as the sea As long as time began We’re fighting for our freedom. I sensed this when I was small I could feel it all; The hurt, the anger, the pride. It’s all mine to hide When you grow up the feeling gets bigger And you get sicker and sicker The trees, birds, and things that sing Don’t mean anything. Fighting so long, so long… Fighting. You want to end it all Fighting for no reason at all Fighting for our freedom.
Art by Ariel Cook
Aubrielle McNeill ‘21
Is this what they call fine china A bleeding heart and failed lungs Bruised knuckles and scratched skin Torn throat and hard mind Is this what they call free Locked wrists and gunned down Blood spattered and hope gone Bail money and unjustified Is this what they call a leader Colored skin and discrimination White power and poor souls Hands out to be ignored Is this what they call unity Shackled together and pulled apart Verbal war and peoples crisis Inevitable inequality and arms raised up This is what we call our town This what we call our city This is what we call our country This is what we call our world This is what we call our home Only for it to be prison of hurt and pain Growing up to fast and devastation It’s funny that red blue and white signals freedom but it’s the same flashing lights behind you An innocent boy or girl, Woman or man Forced into a deadly future To be born into a life we fight for everyday For us to breathe clean air and appreciated opinion This isn’t the place I’d thought I call home This isn’t the place I’m prideful of What is Freedom Don’t ask me because I wouldn’t know They call America the land of the free A place of opportunity A chance to start over But for who What is freedom Is it the American flag I’m supposed to pledge to Is it the police system arresting and kill my family Is it my right to say what I want Is it racism in its truest forms Is the hate spat from the devil’s lips Is it his conviction Is it his innocence Pleaded as a life sentence Is it the way I’m treated What is freedom How can I identify freedom in a country full isolation and deceit Why should I pledge allegiance to a country that won’t pledge allegiance to me this is what we call America.
Angry Black Girl.
America.
Poetry
Zaire Abegaz ‘20
So we don’t exist Because my history isn’t as pretty as yours it just isn’t there Since my people didn’t speak your languages we were are not worth your time People that looked like me were killed because the average warranty for a slave was 3 years after arrival I promise We will remember you, you won’t be forgotten, just because you never saw your family again doesn’t mean they forgot who you are Just because you died on their soil does not mean your spirit will be left here You know the people that looked like me were murdered for their skin, land, gold, their brown folk magic You were accepted with open arms, you were fed, clothed, shown what bathing was, but i mean we were the savages. We were the ones that brutally murdered for no reason The ones that wiped each other off the map for countless years They try to pretend that there are only 562 tribes that they didn’t kill off countless more That we did it That they didn’t displace thousands And force you to forget your languages and culture Sometimes i wonder what it’s like to be one of them What it’s like pretend my ancestors didn’t murder yours If i could say that “ industrial capitalism was good for us” and not realize that it was only good for some I think they have to realize we can’t just pretend race ‘’doesn’t exist” But i mean what am i worth, i’m just the black girl in the back of the class
Open Letters Dear Roosevelt News, We are outraged and saddened. Recently, there was an illustration on the cover of The Roosevelt News depicting a stereotypical black man exchanging drugs with a white business man, for money. The package that the black man was giving to the white man was labeled “CURE”. The headline reads: “The struggle with addiction.” This is a perfect example that “liberal Seattle” isn’t as liberal as it claims to be.
behavior and this is not the first time we’ve seen something like this. This continues to promote racial stereotypes and deepen racial tensions. We need more discussion, we need more action and we need more accountability. It’s not a bad thing to admit that your actions were wrong, it shows growth and empathy. However when you don’t hold yourself accountable you are refusing to learn. You are refusing
“WE NEED MORE DISCUSSION, WE NEED MORE ACTION, AND WE NEED MORE ACCOUNTABILITY.” Seattle can post so much about these huge issues but never carry the same energy when it’s time to be active. So many people saw this cover and said nothing, did nothing. If you can allow yourself to be passive and neutral in these situations you have chosen the side of the oppressor. Instead of Roosevelt receiving discipline for their actions, social media and news outlets are creating room for excuses. The media continues to make excuses for inexcusable
to understand an entire demographic for the sake of your ego. We demand that Roosevelt gives more than an apology. Racism has been embedded into the curriculum and the culture. We are disappointed that students, staff, and especially the students and the advisor of the Roosevelt News published their overtly racist newspaper. So Roosevelt, please own up to your faults and apologize. Don’t be sorry, be better.
Dear White People,
White people: I have to say, out of all the wonderful different demographics at Garfield, you are by far my favorite. I’ve looked up to you a lot, and I’ve noticed that recently there have been some cries surrounding the amount of privileges you’re currently receiving. So, being the good helper I am, I’ve talked to many people not only at the building level, but the district as well, to get policies put in place to make sure you guys get the lives your ancestors would’ve killed for! Make sure to be on the lookout for the policy change that will be announced this Thursday during advisory on GTV! To my beloved white people, I’ve heard your cries and I’ve heard your screams, and I’ve heard your complaints. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands, to make sure changes are made to ensure your time at Garfield is exactly what you deserve. My first policy change is banning all those watered drinks, flavored beverages, and sugary pops. From now on, the only drinks allowed on Garfield campus are brews and coffee! What a time to be alive! Hopefully this will make you a little more comfortable than you’ve been. But it doesn’t stop there. I know y’all are just sick and tired of coming to school and having to put on a front and act like someone you’re not. So from now on, you’re only allowed to be rude and snobby and you must think— no, you must know— that you’re better than everybody. Any other behavior from you will be punished. Speaking of punishment, I know you all feel so punished having to see those big bulky Jordans, kinky nappy hair and having to hear those loudmouths everyday, so I developed these contact lenses that allow you to see only Patagonia and hydro-
flasks! My white people of Garfield, you are by far the most woke people I know. But I know how tiring it is putting all this effort into something that really doesn’t affect you at all, so from now on, all you have to do is post something on Instagram every now and then expressing concern about a situation. No need to stress yourself out by actually stepping outside and doing something important. That would be such a waste of your extremely precious time. But if you want to do something “woke” to look good on college apps, go ahead, that’s understandable. Nothing screams white culture like benefiting off another culture’s struggle! While we’re on that whole woke topic, I know Garfield has clique problems, but I assure you, you’re not the problem (you never are). Just continue to talk about these issues without actually doing something to change it. Don’t hang out with a minority, don’t even try to understand a different culture. Because why would you do that? You’re already perfect! But even you perfect people have problems, and until every single one is solved, you won’t have the true perfect life you desperately deserve. So, if anybody at Garfield complains about anything, off with their head! This also goes for anybody not sharing the same opinion as you on any topic. How dare someone disagree with a white person? Off with their head! Now my Caucasians, I put considerable time and effort into these changes, so I hope they make your life and time at Garfield as special are you are. Oh, and one last thing. Any and every type of seasoning or seasoned food has been banned from Garfield. Thanks.
Sincerely, Sincerely, New Generation Sav’ell Smalls
WRITING SUBMISSIONS Black Excellence Playlist Black People Are Not a Monolith By Sosuna Tedros
Be Free • J. Cole
By Azure Savage
When black people are talked about, it is often only with one narrative that attempts to sum up the entirety of the black experience. One black person does not speak for the entire community; they speak only for themselves. The experiences that every black person has with their identity are valid, no matter how much they differ. Zora Neale Hurston, another black woman and writer, explains her experience as a black woman and her opinion on race in her essay “How It Feels to Be Coloured Me.” Even though both Hurston and I are black, we navigate our experiences with discrimination in different ways. Hurston does not have a strong negative response to discrimination against her. She explains, “Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry”. She does not get mad at people who
discriminate against her instead “it merely astonishes [her]” Hurston is not denying that discrimination exists, simply that it does not cause her anguish. She is surprised that someone would treat her in that way, judging her only by her race, when there are more important aspects about her. She questions,
they do not have the opportunity to get to know her. Opposite from Hurston, I have an emotional and confrontational way of dealing with discrimination. One instance of discrimination at school occurred in one of my classes sophomore year. To set the scene, I was unsurprisingly the only black person in the class. My white teacher dress coded me for wearing shorts and a tanktop, even though the majority of girls in the class were wearing the same thing. I walked out of the class because I felt upset and shocked by the situation, and waited until the next day to confront her. I told her how her actions seemed to have a racial bias and that I felt targeted in the class. Calling people out on their ignorance is something that I think is necessary and important to create awareness and make change.
“ONE BLACK PERSON DOES NOT SPEAK FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY; THEY SPEAK ONLY FOR THEMSELVES.” “How can anyone deny themselves the pleasure of my company?”. Her self esteem and confidence allow her to look past the hate she faces instead of channeling it into anger. She views it in a way where the discriminator is the victim because
What BLM At School Means to Me By Caron Rossman
Since we’re seen as monkeys it’s only fair I address the elephant It’s the assumptions teachers hold about students with melanin One that we’re felons and, we’re stupid, we’re loud, and we’re illiterate But those are just preconceived assumptions produced by ignorance Scariest thing about them is that those who have them are totally oblivious Talking down to me slowly like I’m stupid About work you’ve assigned as if I couldn’t do it If you leave me be I could fly through it Because I’m an intellectual but I have to work two times as hard as my color lacking class mates to prove it All this teaching you need to do some more more learning teach Having trouble reading Davionte but can perfectly pronounce Bella’s last name from Germany I mean shoot if you’re asking me You could read the names right if you had help from some African American faculty Black names would be given justice with a teacher of a color A leader in our day to day lives who’s also I sister or a brother
But instead we have an ignorant “teacher” with no racial bias training up there presenting Who voted for an orange man who they feel represents them and I feel resents me Then they teach briefly about racism form our white textbooks like it isn’t here too And it isn’t on our teachers it’s our classmates, “friends”, and peers too Doing little things you wouldn’t notice unless you been through it Like the “Can I touch your hair?” When you already three knuckles into it The “Why do you y’all different with your Black friends then in class?” The “Do you (insert stereotype), I had to ask” The terrible racist jokes where I’d be the odd one out if I didn’t laugh The using serious protest just to leave school The listening to music we produce, then asking for “the pass” to say that hateful word to feel cool I generally don’t understand some of the Caucasian youth obsession with that word of oppression Like people who looked like then didn’t use it to lessen those with a beautiful brown complexion back then and starting up once again
with this last election “Oh it’s in music,” “Oh it’s in the text what’s wrong if we say it out of of context?” But when the Black raises his hand to answer you don’t want to give any attention to the concept The text within these textbooks… now that’s a whole different topic Writing only bout those who owned the fields and never those who walked it But it makes sense because the author looks like the oppressor So of course he doesn’t wanna talk about the experience of our ancestors “It’s Black history month again lets ‘teach’ em the same thing repeatedly” When we’re hungry for new knowledge but it’s the same old same old y’all “teachers” keep feeding When we should learn about more Black leaders and scholars and show little Black kids they free to be anything they want and not the jail cell filling, felon, ratchet hood rat, deadbeat dad, hashtag the world repeatedly shows them they need to be That’s what Black Lives Matter at school means to me.
Alright • Kendrick Lamar Say it Loud I’m Black and I’m Proud • James Brown Fuck the Police • N.W.A. One Love • Bob Marley Don’t Touch My Hair • Solange Keep Ya Head Up • Tupac DNA • Kendrick Lamar Where Is The Love? • The Black Eyed Peas Changes • 2Pac Wake Up Everybody • John Legend & The Roots Freedom • Pharrell Williams Rise Up • Andra Day A Change Is Gonna Come • Sam Cooke MIDDLE CHILD • J. Cole War Cry • Queen Naija All The Stars • Kendrick Lamar & SZA Formation • Beyoncé Feeling Good • Nina Simone Freedom • Beyoncé & Kendrick Lamar King Kunta • Kendrick Lamar Change • J. Cole Black Man • T.I. Glory • Common & John Legend This Is America • Childish Gambino