They Say We Are

We grew their crops, and built the bridges, railroads and cities. They say we are lazy.

We nurse and rear their young while separated from our families and denigrated. They say we don't take care of our kids and our families are broken.

They say "You don't know how to act."
They put our belongings in museums and the garbage-forbid our languages.

They say we are ugly.
They dress up in our likeness and perform. They say we are ugly. They rape us.

They say their genes make us better.

They say the ones who love us are sick . . . with fever.

We vote. They gerrymander. We articulate and they stop listening.

They say we don't have it together but don't like when we organize. "It's socialism." they say and call us "thugtivists".

They say they don't trust us.

They beat us and kill us and say "Don't run. Never fight back. Why protest? Trust the system."

They underpay us and say "Work harder. Why protest?!!"

They say "You need to stop having so many babies, do better in school, don't make a big deal, calm each other down . . . Pull your pants up."

That's what they've been saying while we're holding our hands up.