Person of color 
I send my salutations 
Leader of my pack
Member of my clan 

My brother is black
My sister covered
Person of color
I send my Salam.

Espionage in the white castle
My skin deemed darker than charcoal
Pennies littering the streets
Dossiers printed, hidden for their goal

The privilege I see
It reeks skin deep 
Walking the streets 
Skin pristine, no one even taking a peek.

Person of color
I am of you and you are of me
Bronzed and charred
Our beauty emanates to every degree.

The ionic bonds I see 
are corrupt and overweight
They have created a state 
& mandated the escape.

Person of color
I urge you, don’t hate
They don’t understand our very innate
Diversify to recover
Band together to one another

Oh, Person of Color
I am of you and you are of me
They must not shade us and make us the same
I, too, stand as a person of color
& I shall not allow them to steal our name
Or our rightful claim. 

-jt

The Charles White Archives

PS. For those asking… It’s Jana like Jana Banana.