The sun does shine when it’s gray too
But that’s the moment that is inside of you
A cast and a host of angels have been around before
They’ve written books and explored and opened the door
To let us know how great we really are
But many of us act like it’s a shining star in the sky so bright
We can’t see it there
And we really believe it’s coming from a place that doesn’t exist
Or compare to the life that we truly have each day
So we look at the stars that they show us
And tell us that we should follow this way
How blinded by the light are we as a people now?
We’re not sure or aren’t certain of how to be
The most successful race in the place
To understand that science, math and business
Are the showcase in this society that we live in each day
We tell our children go out and play
An that they’ll be OK
But we don’t tell them to read every day
What hardships will we find
When we as a people are not only left behind
We discover that it is by design
That we are not smart anymore
And we have actually closed are educational door
We have sunglasses on and they’re not the rose-colored kind
It’s the fact that we don’t want to be great or in charge anymore
We want others to rule our lives
And they understand and employ
Devious devices that entrap us in their snare every day
The sad part is that it is in a voluntary way
We choose to drop out of school at alarming rates
And yet through rap music there is no great debate
About whether you should actually
Get an education each day
No that’s not how Beatz the millionaire
To take our people in an educated way
Instead we no longer remember
When we fought the power like Chuck D. said you see
He seems like a relic, useless
No place and nothing to listen to you see
It’s amazing that there is no classic hip-hop music radio station today
If hip-hop was so great, why don’t they still want to play
Things that were relative to a movement that moved minds in a special way
That made others rich and have the success that came to be
No why is that Ice Cube makes music anymore
Why is he making music that some have come to adore
And others to ignore
We’re not talking about the lethal injections that happen in our minds everyday
Why is Facebook the first thing we turn to
And where we want to have things to say
Mindless conversation and sharing pictures
But what happens to the fact that there are no black-owned companies on the New York Stock Exchange
What happens to the fact that you don’t know anybody that lost hundreds of millions of dollars in the hedge fund dismay
We had on rose-colored glasses then that obscured what was really in play
And even today we still shield our eyes so that we don’t see the tragedy that
Eddie Long says the church is dead and no one wants to debate that fact each and every day
No one has gotten a check from Tavis Smiley, but we smile when he looks our way
No one has gotten a check for all the people that they tell us are good for us
We need to let the community know that we don’t see them in this great and special way
Even black intellectuals have lead us astray
They act like they are above us and they treat us like we are clowns
When they tell people that we cannot distinguish ourselves
From being a part of their fans or people that are in the crowd
And they can say anything to us and we smile and clap our hands
The puppet masters have achieved exactly what they want this day
They’ve taken and given all of our people in our race glasses that say
“You can’t see the truth about how far you’ve gone back.
You don’t expect corporations to give your money back. Instead you spend and where designer clothes
from designers that don’t even invite you to see their show You are the laughingstock of those in boardrooms
Because they know you’ll spend money with companies Who don’t support higher education for children of color
You’ll go and choose to be less of yourself somehow and Tell you how great you are.”
It is not a matter of care or concern that clouds are eyes
It’s the fact that we no longer can see the prize.
The prize of actually being a strong race every day
The prize of actually thinking collectively in sharing the strength in a Black Power way.
Or a power position in this day
Yet we want the politicians to do what’s right
But we don’t make contributions to them or pay for their chicken dinners at night
So that they can run, rather than be bought and sold like they are today
What’s wrong with us?
Take tour glasses off
Stand up and make a difference today.
Peace.
