I didn’t cry at my birth; I entered the universe in silence.
I wasn’t born in a cage, yet a slave enraged by violence.
I didn’t understand my creator’s plan. I yearned for my mother’s hand,
Yet that hand smacked me back to the motherland.
I’m a blood diamond; my life came at a price.
The debt was paid by Nazareth; now I’m living twice!
Harriet Tubman speaks from the depths of my soul:
“Pharaoh, overseer, correctional officer, let my people go!”
Nat Turner picked up the gun and showed me the way;
In silence I obeyed.
He said, “In order to free your mind, you mustn’t be afraid.”
Who said I was afraid? I’m ready to die.
Frederick Douglas chimed in, saying, “You’re afraid to ask why?”
Asking why made me wise; it opened my eyes.
Now the devil wants my soul because I finally realize:
The key to liberation is found in a pen …
While I remain silent, the revolution is televised from within.
