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As a black Woman, I was told not to be fast
Because in a world of blonde hair and blue eyes
The value of a black woman continues to fall last and
As a young girl, there was a constant struggle inside of me
Cause how could I want to live like those who wanted to to look just like me
As a black woman, they tell us it’s just a hairstyle
Well damn, why does it feel like with my every step, she gets to take a mile
As a black woman it seems as if there was a fight to be equal to men
but
The truth is the fight was to be equal to to everyone and that included girls who claimed to be all about women and
As a black woman, too often does our word turn into silence
cause the world isn’t ready for the power of a black woman
cause that’s where you’ll find true guidance
from my ancestors feeding and teaching their kids to bathe
From stopping kids in stores, showing them they must behave
And that kids gonna listen, bad or not
Cause when a black woman opens her mouth, the world should know to stop
And, as a black woman I’m told I’m pretty for a black girl
But what I think is I’m pretty cause I’m black down to every nap and curl
And I wont lie as a black woman I was scared to date
Cause I had to wonder if the men I saw as kings, suffered from internalized hate and
As a black woman, I knew my prosperity would implement fear in the nation
But this resilience and strength, is implemented in my black skin
And it doesn’t just come on occasion
And I’ve heard it all before,
“Maya, everything isn’t about race”
But black is me and I am black
And this devotion to mine
You gon see it in my face and
As a black woman, you not gon tell me that I cant be the best
Because despite my struggles I compete to be better than myself
And that makes me different from the rest and
As a black woman I think it’s the funny the world tried to teach me I lacked
Cause I found who I am, and anything I put my hands on? I’m great at and it’s cause I’m blackj
As a black woman, in every setting we’re the most disrespected
But let the world need me, and I’m suddenly respected and
still I continue to do my part
Cause as a black woman, I was made to make every move from the heart
So yes, I’m a woman but being black is apart of my identity
And trying to separate the two when looking at what I face, you will never be a friend of me
Society doesn’t love black women
And yet we continue to show up and show out cause theres dreams to be chased
Being black is a full time job within itself
Yet we still gotta be women, and handle both with grace
So one day, when my name is well known and common to the public
Make sure the papers know, as a black woman, when the world tried to mistreat me, I was just above it.
