our people

When opportunity comes knocking on your door.
Do you just let it on in, or do you ask what are you here for
It feels like the colleges get less youth, while the graveyards get more
Or the young people are locked behind bars of iron ore.

Kids hurting kids, when will our people get relief,
When causing pain and suffering is our children's only belief.
The parents say they will whoop them like a thief
But they do nothing when the child says I'll turn over a new leaf

The babies are confused, being raised without a father,
And hear that nice guys finish last and being bad gets you farther
And are getting life lessons from women that are too young to be a mother
The kids go to the streets because they never knew anything other

We must prevent the killings in the streets by any means possible
Tell the young people that all of today's violence is irresponsible.
Teach them that non violence can overcome any obstacle.
And that working together will make us unstoppable.

The media rarely tells about the achievements we make,
All that get reported is the lives our crimes take
And our people's seemingly many upon many mistakes
But we only get one month to talk about our peoples greats

When will parents teach about Martins dream
when will students learn of the power of a peaceful team
How two heads can always think better then one, as it seems
That education is the key to be redeemed.

Why does everything have to end in violence?
Do people not know the power of silence?
How martin luther king changed the world with his brilliance,
but he never ever, had to use his fist.

But our hearts are becoming so empty, they turn black as coal.
How can we raise from the slums as a people,
When we can't even help our own brothers out this hole,
We have to be right with ourselves before we can uplift another soul.

If we can never place our feet on solid land,
We are be doomed to sink in destruction's quicksand.
I refuse to do nothing as our rights are banned,
We, as Americans, have to promote nonviolence, our people must take a stand.