Poetry – Black is Beautiful – Raina Grimes

BeautifulBlack is

When I look in the mirror I see a normal girl But through the eyes of those who cannot accept I am just another target for the hateful prejudice that our society has kept I am forced to act in a manner that will not attract attention Stepping out of bounds leads to my own self destruction I cannot stoop down to the stereotypes that hover over my head Giving into a cliche will set us back instead of ahead Because conforming serves as reassurance to people who try to justify their intolerance

We try to move forward and create this atmosphere where all races can peacefully coexist But the shackles that we have been released from seem to still be clinging to our wrists Plastered all over the news is another unarmed black person murdered in cold blood My thoughts flood with rage Knowing this is not the last time I will see a victim that looks like me; same race same age Why should the color of my skin determine my fate? After hundreds of years of struggling, we have remained the same victims of hate

We use our voices to speak out and exercise our rights But any attempt to see change results in a fight If we are all equal I should not have to protest and spread awareness about my own life Unable to choose what I look like, yet I am punished for my pigment We are fighting for air in this sea of oppression We are shot because our skin is perceived as a weapon But when we get angry about seeing our people being killed they view our pain as aggression

I will never be ashamed of my appearance because I am not at fault for someone else’s ignorance So I proudly raise my fist for the innocent lives lost due to racial injustice I proudly use my voice to educate others about the importance of racial equality I proudly fight for my people because one person is all you need to make a difference So, the next time I look in the mirror I see a strong individual who knows that black is beautiful

Raina Grimes, 11

free verse poetry