ashamed

Today I learned in school that all White people were born cruel.
I started to speak up but didn't want to break the rule.

We learned all about the history of slaves kept in the south.
We learned all about the history of the Indians we forced out.

I tried to talk about it but you looked the other way
I assumed in all the silence that you had nothing to say

I tried to ask the teacher about White contributions too,
but then she showed us pictures of the Holocaust-poor Jew!

At show-and-tell she asked us to share our family tree-
it didn't take me long to see there wasn't time for me.

We discussed fantastic cultures, we spent a lot of time
I wondered why our People were always last in line.

You said "listen to the teacher for she surely knows whats best"
I studied really hard and then by-God I aced that test!

Before I left for school today you dressed me oh so neat-
but you'll have to buy me all new clothes so I'll survive the street.

I went to play at a friends house and talked about my day
she said I had a hateful heart and then sent me away.

I could tell that you felt bad and tried to help me fit back in
the only thing it cost me was the color of my skin.

I want to say, I think you tried your best throughout your life
but you'd have rather skipped the trouble than to deal with this small strife.

And now although you wish you'd taken out the time to teach
I'm afraid my mother dear that I'm completely out of reach.