I Didn't Know by Susan Kolade
I never went through history books
Never searched the words
Was never taught how deep it was
Just taught dates and names
So, I didn’t feel it
I couldn’t just relate.
Here comes 2018,
I go abroad to study,
Saw people as males and females
No race, no skin colour
Nothing so different
We were all just people
Living.
Here comes 2019,
Still studying,
About to round up
Looking for a job now
Was told it's tough on black women in the job market
Didn’t reply
I simply didn’t understand.
Was told I wanted to become a slave in another man’s land
Mum, what does that even mean?
I walked into a store
Shopping as usual
Saw this expensive professional dress
I am buying it
The look they gave me
Was something wrong?
I left.
Then comes 2020,
I’m back home
I read, I watch, I listen
The colour of my skin
The history of my people
What my mum said
My experiences
I begin to understand
At 23
Shame?
I really didn’t know
That being different…
Was not okay...
When I think about it
If I didn’t know
Until I was exposed
Then you didn’t know
Until you were exposed
You were taught to hate!
Unlearn
And
Relearn
It's not okay to hate 'me'
Because of the 'colour' of my 'skin'
Something so external
Trees have brown
Sand has brown
You used to play with brown crayons
When you think about it again,
You are simply like me
Just another Human.
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