Page 40 - Contrast2005

~Ut~W()M!~The Struggle of a

to Identify Herself

My name is not Mary or Danielle or Bob
My family did not arrive on a small raft or log
My people were stolen- were taken away
From MY country, where we wanted to stay

You think I wanted to be here? Where is my culture here?
Is it in slavery? Lynchings hanging from the trees?
My culture was in deserts and bushes and grass
My history and ancestors were not such a part of my past

But I look around now, and what do I see
I see straight hair, green eyes, and blacks having white babies
I am not saying that mixing and blending is wrong
But I think it's a shame that the real culture is gone

I know nothing of tribes or religion or territories
All I know is my people were "African" from some country
Africa is not a country. It is a continent.
And just saying "African-American" is no kind of supplement

I'm Algonian, Algerian, Beninian, Egyptian, Gambonian, Ethiopian,
Ghanan, Guinean, Morroccan, Namibian, Senegalian, Samalian
My tribe is the Igbo, Fang, Bule, Kongo, Kota, Luba, Punu, Teke, Venda,
Wodabe, Yoruba, Zulu
"African-American" does not even begin to describe
Where I am from

I long to know my ancestors, my bloodline, my clan
Most whites can trace back to their "mother" land
But there are no records for my people to see
We as "slaves" were brought over as cattle, as sheep

No birth certificates, no marriages, or valid ID
We were "Bessy" and "Mable" and "Miss Sicily"
like pets, we were named.
like goats, we were shamed.

38 Contrast 2005