{"id":431,"date":"2019-05-19T20:20:55","date_gmt":"2019-05-19T20:20:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.iforcolor.org\/word\/?p=431"},"modified":"2019-05-25T02:43:38","modified_gmt":"2019-05-25T02:43:38","slug":"im-sorry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iforcolor.org\/word\/im-sorry\/","title":{"rendered":"I’m Sorry"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’m Sorry<\/strong><\/em> by Yasmine Chervin<\/p>\n

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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/em><\/h3>\n

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I’m sorry<\/em><\/h3>\n

I’m sorry that we were once princes and princesses, Kings and Queens of nations that man could not believe<\/em><\/h3>\n

I’m sorry that we reversed our place<\/em><\/h3>\n

And allowed our race to bring us disgrace<\/em><\/h3>\n

Being \u201cgangsters\u201d, wanna be thugs, and promiscuous vixens, whose bodies have become an open market to different types of pains, harms, and things<\/em><\/h3>\n

I’m sorry that if until today you haven\u2019t realized it\u2026..I\u2019m sorry that today is the day you realize the truth, the day you see what I see.<\/em><\/h3>\n

Our ancestors placed in shackles<\/em><\/h3>\n

Burned with iron, covered in scars were enslaved by society<\/em><\/h3>\n

And once again we have become enslaved, no longer bound by shackles of ownership<\/em><\/h3>\n

But shackles place on material things<\/em><\/h3>\n

I’m sorry that society has failed us<\/em><\/h3>\n

Put us at the bottom of the food chain and expected us swim and dream big<\/em><\/h3>\n

I’m sorry that our men are imprisoned, that although we are few our population in incarceration is many<\/em><\/h3>\n

I’m sorry that till this day we are seen as monsters, different, exotic, NOT EQUAL<\/em><\/h3>\n

And I’m sorry that if until today you haven\u2019t realized it\u2026..I\u2019m sorry that today is the day you realize the truth, the day you see what I see.<\/em><\/h3>\n

India Arie said \u201cHey I am not my hair? I am not this skin\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n

But why have we subjected ourselves to disliking what we look like<\/em><\/h3>\n

Why has fairer skin, whiter skin, paler skin become more attractive to man<\/em><\/h3>\n

Why have our African Queens, Kings, Princes and Princesses allowed a society of no color to decide what is beautiful amongst us<\/em><\/h3>\n

For before we based our beauty off of skin tone, our kings and queens, princes, and princesses came in all shades of brown.<\/em><\/h3>\n

I AM sorry if you think that you are not beautiful, because beauty is skin deep<\/em><\/h3>\n

I AM sorry that we have idolized artists and famous people who have lost their touch and have withdrawn themselves from this battle we call life as an African American<\/em><\/h3>\n

I AM sorry that if until today you haven\u2019t realized it\u2026..I\u2019m sorry that today is the day you realize the truth, the day you see what I see.<\/em><\/h3>\n

Ladies You are beautiful no matter what they say<\/em><\/h3>\n

SO why have we taken pride in objectifying our bodies?<\/em><\/h3>\n

I AM no saint and at times fall guilty, but why have we allowed barbies, and big booties to decide what type of love we deserve<\/em><\/h3>\n

I am sorry that Long Hair Don\u2019t Care has made us look away from our tight coils and afro-centric looks<\/em><\/h3>\n

I am sorry that our bodies are objectified and seen as ATM transactions<\/em><\/h3>\n

Now Credit or Debit as long as the surcharge is sufficient right?<\/em><\/h3>\n

Wrong!<\/em><\/h3>\n

I\u2019m sorry that if you haven\u2019t found the one yet you believe that it is it. But it isn\u2019t.<\/em><\/h3>\n

And Im sorry that if until today you haven\u2019t realized it\u2026..I\u2019m sorry that today is the day you realize the truth, the day you see what I see.<\/em><\/h3>\n

Now my brothers I am sorry that you have come against each other<\/em><\/h3>\n

I am sorry that till this day, \u201cWe can\u2019t all just get along\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n

I\u2019m sorry that Black on Black crimes are seen as a norm and accepted, and I\u2019m even more sorry that to this day we aim to do better than one another than help one another.<\/em><\/h3>\n

I’m sorry that \u201cDark Skins\u201d and \u201cLights Skins\u201d exist<\/em><\/h3>\n

I\u2019m sorry that you are called dogs, and pigs, and gangsters, and murders, and rapists<\/em><\/h3>\n

I\u2019m sorry that society has failed you,<\/em><\/h3>\n

I\u2019m sorry that society has failed you<\/em><\/h3>\n

And Im sorry that if until today you haven\u2019t realized it\u2026..I\u2019m sorry that today is the day you realize the truth, the day you see what I see.<\/em><\/h3>\n

Now I\u2019m sorry for all the things done to us<\/em><\/h3>\n

But I’m even more sorry for us giving up<\/em><\/h3>\n

\u201cThey take my kindness for weakness<\/em><\/h3>\n

They take my silence for speechless<\/em><\/h3>\n

They consider my uniqueness strange<\/em><\/h3>\n

They call my language slang<\/em><\/h3>\n

They see my confidence as conceit<\/em><\/h3>\n

They see my mistakes as defeat<\/em><\/h3>\n

they consider my success accidental<\/em><\/h3>\n

They minimize my intelligence to potential<\/em><\/h3>\n

My questions mean I am unaware<\/em><\/h3>\n

My advancement is somehow unfair<\/em><\/h3>\n

To voice concern is discontentment<\/em><\/h3>\n

If I stand up for myself I am too defensive<\/em><\/h3>\n

If I don\u2019t trust them I am too apprehensive<\/em><\/h3>\n

I am defiant if I separate<\/em><\/h3>\n

I am fake if I assimilate<\/em><\/h3>\n

My character is constantly under attack<\/em><\/h3>\n

Pride for my race makes me too black\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n

I’m sorry that if until today you haven\u2019t realized it\u2026..I\u2019m sorry that today is the day you realize the truth, the day you see what I see.<\/em><\/h3>\n

@ALL RIGHTS RESERVED –\u00a0Yasmine Chervin<\/p>\n

@Iforcolo<\/span>r.org (2015<\/span>)<\/span><\/p>\n

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