Black History
By RP
That’s all they want us to be is History
Black power.
Now that’s real power,
The type of power if we unite the
world, we’d devour.
leave the majority sour.
But it’s all a test,
They take our ideas and make it their
own success,
Then we’re stuck oppressed,
depressed,
stressed,
A complete mess,
It’s time to Progress
Because I must confess
We’ve been treated less than the best
And we’re the best by far
It’s time to shine like the northern star.
It’s no mystery
About our Black History
It’s time to be courageous and not coward
To embrace our Black Power.
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The poets featured here are currently incarcerated, and many of them are in federal prisons far from home. Your feedback is a valuable source of motivation and connection to the outside community. Please keep your comments encouraging; we recommend focusing on how the poem makes you think, feel, or reflect. Post your comments, feedback, and encouragement in the space below the poem. Messages will be passed on directly to the author. Comments may not appear immediately on the site, as our team processes them to mail to the poets.
RP- I really enjoyed your poem! Your words are full of power and passion, keep sharing that with the world.
This poem lays out an incredibly powerful message. The systems of our world don’t want black individuals to succeed or exceed. The systemic racism within our country is palpable and persists. More specifically, this poems use of rhyme is very strong, effectively juxtaposing black pride and the importance of the black voice, with ways society limits and quiets said voice. In using this juxtaposition, it effectively allowed me, the reader, to think about these topics more deeply. Great job!
This poem is just so powerful to me. It gives me chills when I read it. The lyrical and flowing words of the poem just mean so much and have much power, and have such a large influence. It makes me reflect on where we are as a country, as a society, and where we need to go. What stands between us and where we must go. What we need to change.
The poem is a compelling and motivational piece that effectively captures the spirit of resilience and the importance of embracing identity
You did an amazing job with this poem! The way you express the struggles and strength of Black history is both powerful and inspiring. Your use of rhythm and rhyme really brings out the message, making it clear and impactful. It’s a great piece that encourages unity and empowerment.
This is bold and unapologetic—a call to action and a celebration of strength. It captures the struggle, resilience, and brilliance of Black history and power, urging unity and pride. These words radiate with determination and a vision for a brighter future. Powerful and inspiring.
Your poem is powerful and inspiring. It’s a bold call for unity and strength, honoring Black history and the incredible resilience of your community. Truly so motivating and inspiring! Thanks for sharing!
This poem is a powerful call for unity, pride, and progress in the Black community. It speaks about oppression’s struggles while celebrating Black people’s strength and greatness. The message inspires readers to embrace Black history, show courage, and work toward change.
This message is so powerful and leaves such an impact. I love the way you expressed your thoughts into these striking words. The rhyming and repetition was an amazing choice because it made the poem rhythm flow really well. Overall, it was just such a thoughtful and beautiful piece of writing! Thank you for sharing!
RP, what a powerful and beautifully written message! It’s raw, it’s fearless, and it speaks truth that needs to be heard. I love how you called out the cycle of exploitation and oppression, but didn’t stop there—you flipped it into a powerful call to rise and embrace the strength we’ve always had. That line “we’re the best by far, it’s time to shine like the northern star” gave me chills. You’re not just writing poetry—you’re lighting a fire. This felt like a rallying cry, a reminder of who we are and what we’re capable of. Powerful stuff.
This poem strikes with such raw emotion and power. It’s a call to rise, to reclaim what’s ours, and to embrace the strength we’ve always had. The words are a bold reminder of both our struggles and our undeniable power. Truly inspiring!
Your poem is so powerful. It is a call for unity within the Black community. It has a very well rhythm flow and it is a thoughtful written piece.
This poem powerfully calls for unity, pride, and the recognition of Black strength and history. It reminds us that it’s time to embrace our true power and rise above the challenges, shining brightly like the northern star.
This poem has so much power in it. The ending line “It’s time to be courageous and not coward, To embrace our Black Power” is so motivational, and also concludes this perfectly. Recognizing the fight the Black individuals have had to face, and acknowledging that there is still so much work to be done is crucial. The word choice you utilized is empowering and strong, and your consistent rhyme scheme allows for the poem to flow very well. You’ve encapsulated the resiliency of the community perfectly. This was such an impactful piece, and I truly hope you continue to write these poems!
This poem radiates strength, pride, and an urgent call for unity and recognition. The rhythm and repetition drive home the emotion, while the message reclaims power and honors Black excellence. It’s a bold and unapologetic reminder that history shouldn’t silence—but inspire—a future where Black voices rise and lead.
Your poem “Black History” is bold, passionate, and unapologetically empowering. It captures both the pain of oppression and the strength of unity, reminding readers that Black identity is rooted in resilience and greatness. The rhyme and rhythm give it a strong spoken-word flow, especially as it builds toward the final call to embrace “Black Power.” Your honesty about struggle—moving from “oppressed” and “stressed” to “shine like the northern star”—creates a powerful emotional rise. You could tighten a few lines to make the cadence even stronger, but the raw conviction is what makes this piece shine. Overall, it’s an inspiring declaration of pride, progress, and collective strength that commands to be heard.
This message is very strong and very inspiring for African Americans such as myself. I love how you discuss how black people are oppressed and internally we still have the power to shine. The repetition you used in this poem made it flow very nicely and made it very easy to understand your true motivations. This is a very beautiful piece of writing, amazing job!
I really liked your poem because it’s powerful and full of pride. You talk about Black strength and unity in a way that feels real and inspiring. The way you rhyme, and flow gives the poem energy, and it makes your message stand out even more. Your poem shows confidence, truth, and hope all at once. It reminds people to be proud of who they are and to keep fighting for progress. You should definitely keep writing your words that have power and can really inspire others.
Hi RP! You show the truth about struggle and the brilliance of rising above it. You show pride, clarity, and purpose. You show that embracing Black power is embracing our worth. I loved reading your work, great work!
Your poem has so much energy and pride in it. I love how you lift up the strength and brilliance in Black history and culture. The rhythm of your writing makes the message hit even harder. It is powerful work.
I felt chills reading this; each line was so detailed and well written that I felt as though I could picture or reference for each example provided. A lot of these are issues that are overlooked in our society that aren’t talked about enough, and I feel like within this one problem I could have at least three different social issues to address. I hope you get the recognition that you deserve. This poem speaks millions of words.
This is an incredibly powerful and impactful statement of strength and pride. It is undoubtedly important for younger generations to have these values instilled in them to brace for future challenges to come.
A powerful poem about embracing one’s people and rising against a world that treated one like a lesser. An amazingly strong poem.
I felt so moved while reading what you wrote, I think that the words you chose and the way in which you wrote them were so incredibly powerful. I love the beginning of the poem, “black power. Now that’s real power.” just the opening of the poem along had me hooked and excited to read the rest.
That’s all they want us to be is History