I was applying to university
The form asked me my ethnicity…

Am I Black? Well my skin is brown so that cant be why
I remember back in primary I used to be the fastest but behind in my classes
So is being black making physical advances
But my intelligence held captive by slave masters?
No that cant be right…
Being black is being a sambo
Fun to be around but when the mortage is due we get spinning rims then earn the title irresponsible
A mandingo negro simply informed by our sexual desires

Or maybe what I see in Tyler Perry films with the black lady being a perfect sapphire
Crushing aspirations of the males around them
Or maybe that speech of being an independent black women with two jobs and two kids but no man to massage her feet
Buy our jewels artificial hair but then claim its only our people that were sacrificial

Or is being black thinking radical thoughts and being resistant to oppressive political structures
Being so in tune with the most high that our dreams can wake up millions
That can never stop us being resilient when shots are taken at our most representative figures

I can feel our ancestors weep as their bold actions are manipulated
Many become complacent because what was once a community of activists
Turned into a community of small children fully grown into adults simply expressing the subliminals that were designed to kill their creativity

Well maybe I am British
I dont quite want a spot of tea
Nor have the urge to invade a foreign country
And turn their Kings into paupers
Making them dance to my own economical salsa

Truth be told I do believe in & embrace multi-culture
I do often find myself as being the noral vulture preying on what society feems outdated views
But here is more of the truth im not concerned with being labelled
Because it is another step towards being institutionalised

Do you realise once being black was enough
But now they added Black British
Just to prove that the blackest are at fault for the most negative statistics
Or that one in 5 work in logistics
Being reduced to a number is a reality I choose to defer

So I look at the form again & tell you I got 99 problems and being Black British is one

By Zuriel Thompson
Originally pubished via justcallmezee.tumblr.com