See Me

What do you see when you see me?
Or do you even see...
..ME?

Do you see a humdrum slave
quietly, picking cotton for his master?
Or do you see Nat Turner
hatcheting the heads off the white men
that ensalved him?

Do you see Huey P. Newton with a
proud black fist clinched in the air?

Do you see Bob Marley, the musical revolutionist,
guitar in hand, legendary singer/song writer?
Or do you see Bob Marley, the weed addict,
blunt in hand, ganja smoke slowly escaping his mouth?

Do you see a black man or do you see a man?

Do you see Martin Luther King,
the political activist, leading the bus boycott?
Or do you just see him when he gets shot?

Do you see pookie?
Do you see Tookie Williams
pre or post childrens book author?

Do you see a dead beat,
no good, abusive, drunk father?
Or do you see a dad that goes
to his kids every basketball game,
every PTA meeting, and helps with the homework?

Do you see a poet or a rapper?
Do you see a scholar?

Do you see my Uncle Lewis that's in jail for life?
Or do you see my Uncle Clyde, millionaire, set for life?

Do you see a gang-member, driving up your block,
shot gun out the window, doin drive bys?
Or do you see that man on the street
that's always tryna sell u bean pies?

Do you see Marion Barry, your former mayor?
Or do you see Marion Barry, marijuana smoker?

Do you see Common, Mos Def,
Malik Yusef, Kanye West, or Talib Kweli?
Or do you see Soulja boy, Arab, or V.I.C?
Or are they all the same to you?

Do you see Sidney Poitier or J.J.?
Do you see James Weldon Johnson or Jay-Z?

Look at my sister
Do you see the color purple?
or do you just see the color black?

Do you see me hustlin drugs
or hustlin an education?

Do you see R.Kelly, the music legend?
Or do you see R.Kelly, the pedophile?

Do you see Michael Jackson
singing Pretty Young Thing?
Or do you see Michael Jackson
molestin' pretty young boys?

Do you see Dave Chappelle, comedic genius?
Or do you see Dave Chappelle, AWOL dumbass?

Do you see a monkey?

What do you see when you see me?
Or do you even see...
...ME?

See me as i am
not how you expect me to be