Own It

They will have a lot of shit to say,

But never about their own shit

Confused when it’s returned to sender

Even though they never learned to address their own shit

Distracting us with what’s hot,

Hoping we try to keep up with the Jones’

Have us worshipping brands,

Waiting to know what the release date for the next iPhone is

Instead of doing what’s financially best,

Figuring out how to own shit.

But how do you figure out something

After centuries of not being allowed to know shit?

Surrounded by the notion that black owners never know shit

Surrounded by the notion that black businesses always owe shit

That our only access to wealth is through debt or when we’re loaned shit

Making us dependent on their system,

When in fact we were their first dependents when they initially stole shit

Claimed as property,

They owned us in order to own shit

“Proud owners” for so long, but now we’re expected to forget that they owned shit

Expected to forget that we were sold and not told shit,

Expected to forget all the free labor and cruelty, killed if we couldn’t grow shit

As though trauma has a statute of limitations,

These things happened and it’s overdue that they own it

In order to repair these actions, we need reparations

We’re taking everything we’re owed, and no shit