Side Effects
by Adrian S. Potter of Minneapolis, MN
I march proudly, a descendant of slaves and Seminoles
Who has witnessed society evolve from different poles
Yet I will never allow tyranny to revoke personal goals
For the sake of my ancestors and their restless souls
I fail to find a state of comfort in this united nation
Knowing that the level of my skin's pigmentation
Directly increases my chances for incarceration
Despite civil rights movements and integration
Forbearers avoided bullwhips by shuckin' and jivin'
Today I dodge police brutality by duckin' and divin'
Run hustles and work jobs, scratching and surviving
Hand money to corporations, while never realizing
That the mainstream media who exploits my soulful style
Fuels the propaganda machine that frames my racial profile
Causing the government to eavesdrop and review my file
Christen me as society's monster before I ever face trial
The side effects of my complexion are not just Negro superstition
If they remain untreated, our country will die from this affliction
A heavy dose of revolution remains the logical prescription
For this disease called prejudice, America's oldest tradition.
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