What’s Black?

Black is the sunrise kissed by resilience,
A tapestry of triumph in a world of indifference.
It’s the hue of creation, the spark in the dark,
The fire in a soul that refuses to part.

Black is beautiful, bold, and infinite,
Each shade a universe, each curl intricate.
It’s the melanin glow, the rhythm, the flow,
A history buried, yet it always shows.

Black is pain, but Black is pride,
It’s the struggle to live when the odds collide.
It’s bending but not breaking,
A song still making,
A story that’s stolen, but never forsaken.

Black is queens with crowns unseen,
Kings of dreams and minds pristine.
It’s ancestors whispering, “Child, be strong,”
A battle of centuries carried along.

Black is being told you’re too much or not enough,
Walking through life with skin made tough.
It’s excelling where doubted,
Thriving where routed,
Proving the world wrong with courage undoubted.

Black is beauty, a joy profound,
A culture the world keeps stealing and then denying our feelings.
It’s the sway of hips, the bassline’s beat,
The calloused hands, the dancing feet.

Black is the bitter and Black is the sweet,
It’s the history carved in every heartbeat.
It’s "I love you" whispered through generational scars,
A hope that endures under countless stars.

Black is power, unyielding and raw,
It’s love in the struggle, not bound by the law.
It’s everything stolen, yet everything gained,
A spirit untamed, despite being chained.

Black is all I know,
It’s the blood in my veins, the roots that grow.
And for every tear, for every fight,
Black remains unbroken, a beacon of light.

~KC

This poem was inspired by Dave’s song “Black”. A song that highlights what the media usually doesn’t and that is the beauty of Black folks.

The image cover for this poem is title “I Am From the Sea.” by Heaven Nartey, a very talented artist. from Ghana. When it comes to the painting Nartey had this to say, “As deep and diverse as the sea, so is the Black community. My intention of this piece was for it to feel like a fairytale book, but instead of “once upon a time” and “happily ever after,” I want viewers to be greeted with cultural songs, shea butter, and sounds of the sea”.