The Oldest Lie

The oldest lie we tell our children is that we are all equal.
We pretend. We lie. We digress from the truth to shield them from all evils.
But the truth is we dream of such a world where race, creed and colour do not define us.

We protect them from the facts of life and speak of the past, forgetting the present.
We praise MLK, Malcolm and Mandela as civil right heroes,
neglecting the bitter truth that they took the first steps on our long walk to freedom.

Enough is enough. Our children deserve better.
They need to know our struggle.
Only then can we dream of better things.

One month later, will we still be here?
Will my white friends be posting about racial inequality?
Will they 'educate' themselves on the systems that strip us of our identity?
Will they fight the good fight, despite the temptation of a return to normality?
I do not blame you for I would probably do the same.
All I ask is that one month later
Remember I did not choose to engage in this fight.
I was born into it.