LAND OF THE FREE
Podcast and Poem
PETER BANKOLE
A lot of us were raised to think people are different and that some are better than others. I am not inferior because of my African roots or the melanin in my skin. Neither am I better than others that are not privileged to have what I have. I have grown to understand that most stereotypes are rooted in hate, and people are not defined by the color of their skin, family name, place of birth, or religion. We live in a world where the circumstance one is born in strongly determines their future. In a world where hate is rampant, love can prevail with empathy for our fellow humans. I hope to live in a world where the system is not designed to maintain inequality in favor of the privileged - and the less privileged are not discouraged from reaching their potential. I want to live in a world where a person's appearance does not determine their social standing and standard. A world of true equality and equal opportunities.
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In America, a land of the free,
Where all should be equal, it’s said to be,
Yet still, the caste system persists,
And racism, a cancer, still exists.
With skin color as the marker,
Of one’s worth and life’s starker,
Opportunities and rights are stripped,
Leaving those at the bottom, forever gripped.
Invisible lines divide us all,
As we continue to take the fall,
Of discrimination and hate,
Our nation’s original sin is still to abate.
We can no longer stand idly by,
As this system continues to apply,
We must all rise up and fight,
For true equality, with all our might.
So let us break these shackles of old,
And build a future, bright and bold,
Where all are equal, in every way,
And the caste system, finally, fades away.
Photographs from:
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Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection at Temple University.
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United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington DC.
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National Museum of African American History & Culture, Washington DC.