I GREW UP IN
A WORLD OF LIES AND DECEIT
ABOUT A HEAVEN IN THE SKY AND HELL UNDER MY FEET
I WENT TO A CATHOLIC SCHOOL WITH NUNS AS TEACHERS
AND THEY FILLED MY MIND WITH EUROPEAN FEATURES
OF A WHITE JESUS AND MOSES, AND MARY AND JOSEPH
AND MY MIND WAS FROZEN FROM OVEREXPOSURE
AND EVEN WHEN WE STUDIED THE OTHER SUBJECTS
IT WAS WASHINGTON, LINCOLN, AND CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS
SO RIGHT FROM THE START MY MIND WAS WHITE-WASHED
AND THE HISTORY OF BLACK PEOPLE WAS TOTALLY LOST
THEY NEVER TALKED ABOUT SLAVERY OR OUR COURAGE AND BRAVERY
THEY MADE IT SEEM LIKE THEY CAME TO AFRICA TO SAVE ME
BUT THAT'S HOW THEY PLAYED ME WHEN I WAS A YOUTH
SCHOOLS ARE KILLIN' OUR CHILDREN BY DENYING THE TRUTH
HOW CAN WE LOVE OURSELVES IN A SCHOOL SYSTEM WHEN
THE CURRICULUM IS DESIGNED TO MAKE YOU LOVE THEM?
HOW CAN OUR KIDS EVER FALL IN LOVE WITH THE SCRIPTURES
WHEN THEY CAN'T SEE THEMSELVES IN THE PICTURE?
IF A CHILD NEVER SEES THE VALUE OF HIS BLACKNESS
THEN HIS BLACKNESS BEGINS TO LOOK UNATTRACTIVE
AND HE ASPIRES TO THINK AND ACT LIKE WHITES
'CAUSE THEY SEEM TO BE DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT
UNTIL THE REALITY FINALLY SETS IN
THAT HE'LL NEVER BE FULLY ACCEPTED BY THEM
THE ONLY WAY I WAS ABLE TO ESCAPE
IS WITH MALCOLM X SPEECHES AND FARRAKHAN TAPES
IT WASN'T BASED ON HATE, JUST KNOWLEDGE OF SELF
SO I WOULDN'T HAVE TO BE LIKE SOMEBODY ELSE
SO WE GOTTA CATCH OUR KIDS AT THE YOUNGEST AGES
AND GIVE THEM THE TRUTH FROM OUR HISTORY PAGES
'CAUSE THE ONLY WAY WE'LL EVER BEAR STRONG FRUIT
IS IF WE MAKE'EM APPRECIATE THEIR ROOT.
ABOUT A HEAVEN IN THE SKY AND HELL UNDER MY FEET
I WENT TO A CATHOLIC SCHOOL WITH NUNS AS TEACHERS
AND THEY FILLED MY MIND WITH EUROPEAN FEATURES
OF A WHITE JESUS AND MOSES, AND MARY AND JOSEPH
AND MY MIND WAS FROZEN FROM OVEREXPOSURE
AND EVEN WHEN WE STUDIED THE OTHER SUBJECTS
IT WAS WASHINGTON, LINCOLN, AND CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS
SO RIGHT FROM THE START MY MIND WAS WHITE-WASHED
AND THE HISTORY OF BLACK PEOPLE WAS TOTALLY LOST
THEY NEVER TALKED ABOUT SLAVERY OR OUR COURAGE AND BRAVERY
THEY MADE IT SEEM LIKE THEY CAME TO AFRICA TO SAVE ME
BUT THAT'S HOW THEY PLAYED ME WHEN I WAS A YOUTH
SCHOOLS ARE KILLIN' OUR CHILDREN BY DENYING THE TRUTH
HOW CAN WE LOVE OURSELVES IN A SCHOOL SYSTEM WHEN
THE CURRICULUM IS DESIGNED TO MAKE YOU LOVE THEM?
HOW CAN OUR KIDS EVER FALL IN LOVE WITH THE SCRIPTURES
WHEN THEY CAN'T SEE THEMSELVES IN THE PICTURE?
IF A CHILD NEVER SEES THE VALUE OF HIS BLACKNESS
THEN HIS BLACKNESS BEGINS TO LOOK UNATTRACTIVE
AND HE ASPIRES TO THINK AND ACT LIKE WHITES
'CAUSE THEY SEEM TO BE DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT
UNTIL THE REALITY FINALLY SETS IN
THAT HE'LL NEVER BE FULLY ACCEPTED BY THEM
THE ONLY WAY I WAS ABLE TO ESCAPE
IS WITH MALCOLM X SPEECHES AND FARRAKHAN TAPES
IT WASN'T BASED ON HATE, JUST KNOWLEDGE OF SELF
SO I WOULDN'T HAVE TO BE LIKE SOMEBODY ELSE
SO WE GOTTA CATCH OUR KIDS AT THE YOUNGEST AGES
AND GIVE THEM THE TRUTH FROM OUR HISTORY PAGES
'CAUSE THE ONLY WAY WE'LL EVER BEAR STRONG FRUIT
IS IF WE MAKE'EM APPRECIATE THEIR ROOT.