LISA O (YEAR 13), TILLY S (YEAR 7) & LORELLE O (YEAR 7)

A Poem for Black History Month

Light skin, brown skin, dark skin, mixed race,
Throughout life we’ve been told to know our place.
Don’t speak out of turn, don’t act in a certain way.
Don’t allow them to associate you with the harmful stereotypes the media portray.

When she raises her voice it is to get everyone’s attention,
When I raise my voice, I become scary, I create tension,
When I walk with my friends we are gang,
To you I speak like a thug because you don’t understand my slang.

I ask you not to judge me based on the colour of my skin.
I ask you to listen as we reclaim our narrative.