Black Girl Pain

My mama said life would be this hard
Growin' up days as a black girl scarred
In every ways till you've come so far
They just know the name they don't know the pain
So please hold your heads up high
Don't be ashamed of yourself know
IWill carry it forth till the day
I dieThey just know the name they don't know the pain black girl
Yeah I do it for the people,
I do it for the love
I do it for the poet,
I do it for the thug
This is for victory, and this is for the slaughter
I do it for my mother,
I do it for my daughter
Promise I'll always love ya,
I love to kiss and hug ya
You and your brother should be lookin ' out for one another
I'm so blessed, man, y'all the reason
I got upSomebody put his hands on you
I'm gettin' locked up
I'm not playin ', that's the prayer
I'm sayin' for
DianiAnd if
I die then she'll be protected by
AmaniThat's her bigger brother and
I love the way he love her
She a girly girl, she love to imitate her mother
But she a
Gemini, so stay on her friendly side
She'll put that look on you, it's like somebody' friend just died
My pretty black princess smell sweet like that incense
That you buy at the bookstore supporting black business
Teach her what black is, the fact is her parents are thorough
She four reading cornrows by
Camille Yarborough
I keep her hair braided, bought her a black
BarbieI keep her mind free, she ain't no black zombie
This is for
Aisha, this is for
KasheraThis is for
Khadijah scared to look up in the mirror
I see the picture clearer through the stain on the frame
She got a black girl name, she livin' black girl pain
This is for
Makeba, and for my
MamacitaWhat's really good, ma?
I'll be your promise keeper
I see the picture clearer through the stain on the frame
She got a black girl name, she livin black girl pain
My mama said life would be this hard
Growin up days as a black girl scarred
In every ways till you've come so far
They just know the name they don't know the pain
So please hold your heads up high
Don't be ashamed of yourself know
IWill carry it forth till the day
I die'Coz they just know the name they don't know the pain black girl
This is for
Beatrice Bertha
Benjamin who gave birth to
Tsidi Azeeda for
Lavender Hill for
KyalishaAlthelone,
Mitchells
Plain, Swazi girls
I'm rep pin for thee
Mannesburg,
Guguletu where you'd just be blessed to get through
For beauty shinin through like the sun at the highest noon
From the top of the cable car at table mountain
I am youGirls with the skyest blue of eyes and the darkest skin
For cape colored allied for realizing we're
AfricanFor all my cousins back home, the strength of mommy's backbone
The length of which she went for raising, sacrificing her own
The pain of not reflecting the range of our complexions
For rubber pellet scars on
Auntie Elna's back
I marchFist raised caramel shinin in all our glory
For Mauritius ,
St. Helena, my blood is a million stories
Winnie for
Joan and for
Edie, for
Norma, Leslie,
NdidiFor Auntie
Betty, for
Melanie, all the same family
Fiona, Jo
Burg, complex of mixed girls
For surviving through every lie they put into us now
This world is yours and
I swear I will stand focused
Black girls, raise up your hands, the world should clap for us
My mama said life would be this hard
Growin' up days as a black girl scarred
In every ways till you've come so far
They just know the name they don't know the pain
So please hold your heads up high
Don't be ashamed of yourself know
IWill carry it forth till the day
I die'Coz they just know the name they don't know the pain black girl
Momma said that the day's like this
Momma said that the day's like this
Momma yeah momma said
That the day's like this
Momma said every day's like this
Momma said that the day's like this
Momma said that the day's like this
Momma yeah momma said
That the day's like this