Grandma was born In the land of magic
Benin, if you didn’t know about it
Her smile turned every guy into an addict
In this village by the sea
She was the one to marry
One day her mama told her
You’re going to France
Here is the man who is gonna be your husband
“No I don’t know their language
And I’m happier here I swear”
“I’m sorry daughter but you have to make it for the fam”
So now, she’s on a boat
The unknown is ahead
And she’s far from her folks
She don’t know that this country will judge her
Because of her color
She don’t know the stories
Between the French and her ancestors
Her spouse a black tailor from the French Navy
Who barely speaks
His past is trauma and grief
He’s not comprehensive
And outside is racism
It won’t be easy to make it in this nation
My sista
Do not let them make fun of ya
My sista
Do not let them make fun of ya
No matter where you from
Tell em
na na na na na na na na na
Years later, here's my mom
The youngest of 3
Kids laugh, skin dark like a piano key
She quickly understood that her color meant more than pigments
She had to go through situations and it wasn't figments
She was pretty and young and proud to be black
She never tried to straighten her hair
Never cared bout that
They called her Chinese Nigger
Cause of her almond eyes
One day at school she got tired and almost killed a guy
These little paper tigers can be dumber than a bag of hammers
But racist designations came from a bigger brother
Their parents bear and spread colonial constructions
Upon which French leaders sit with attention
When she was a teen
She had a light-skin
friend who dreamt of being whitey
Always making a scene
When it came to African genes
It won’t be easy to make it in the 80’s
My sista
Do not let them make fun of ya
My sista
Do not let them make fun of ya
No matter where you from
Tell em
na na na na na na na na na
Realer
Don’t let em try to bring you down
Black queens always wear the crown
Mama why they always gotta pick at me
Afro picked out
Treat me like a piccaninny
Said I need a perm
Don’t they understand the difference in me
Power in my fro
Tommie Smith
Gold Medal; Black Fist
Fast forward to Kapernick
How we land of the free
But killing a "Nigga" quick
Imprison him for the drip
We survivors of the greatest hardships Grandmama
work her way through college Cleaning white folks' houses
Cuz we don't ever fall or fold or break
How you gone bet against my people
A big mistake
Cooking black mama soul in them collards
All the struggle we devour
Our success the sweetest taste
Can’t deny all this pride gotta persevere
More purpose than anything I could purchase here
Peace to the Queens with a Dream
Royalty in my genes
Pray the next generation see it clear
My sista
Do not let them make fun of ya
My sista
Do not let them make fun of ya
No matter where you from
Tell em
na na na na na na na na na
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