I’ve been talking a lot about the Freedom Writers lately, and I thought that now I would let them speak for themselves.  Here are two poems, taken from the book that was a compilation of their work.

They say, I say

They say

I am brown

I say

I am proud.

They say

I only know how to cook

I say

I know how to write a book

So   don’t judge me by the way I look

They say

I am brown

I say

I am proud

They say

I’m not the future of this nation

I say

Stop giving me discrimination Instead

I’m gonna use my education to help build   the human nation.     —-A Freedom Writer

                   Stand

Stay  Black———

Stay Proud

Stay White______

Stay Proud

Stay Brown—–

Stay Proud

Stay Yellow

Stay Proud…….

Don’t be afraid to be what you are,   ‘

cause all you can be, is you!

You’ll never be anything else but you,

so be the best you, you can be.

Keep it real—

by all means, at all times.

Whether a lawyer, a doctor, a football player,

a toilet cleaner, a garbage handler, a panhandler—

Keep it real and still—

be the best you can be.

Have pride, have dignity, stand!

Stand proud, talk proud, act proud, be proud!

Don’t lay down, back down, bow down, run away.

sell out yourself, sell into criticism.

Be real and realize that the ones who criticise,

best recognize that you are  you!

take it or leave it.

MMM HMMM       —– a freedom writer