Royalty

In celebration of Black History Month, we share this poem by Antoinette Richardson is a resident of Project HOME’s Kate’s Place residence in Center City Philadelphia.  

My ancestors, in chains,
Broken by those who claim they’re superior.
Slave ships holding our brothers in pain.
Now can we see their hard exterior?

Beaten, scared, and confused through the scars,
Upon their backs lie the strips that bleed.
There was something in that time that held bars,
A song that we sung that held creed

Were we slaves then? Or are we still slaves?
There was something we didn’t know that day.
One, that we were never in a home full of braves.
We each had a word or two to say.

“We are Royalty.”
Royalty flows through our blood.
Every hit that we took was a step closer to being free.
What they didn’t know was there would be a flood.

Yes, a flood of justice and a sound of the bell,
The bell that gives us freedom from the chains.
Soon we will see there will be a story to tell,
There will be no more tears and pains.

We are Royalty.
Stand up and be Kings and Queens.
We have the key to the Kingdom, see.
In the Kingdom there are no betweens

Brothers, take your crown
As kings, you have the authority to rule.
The color of our skin through His eyes is not brown,
But the color of gold, your crown is the tool

Sisters, take your stand
As Queens, we have the power to sit on the throne.
His Kingdom will never perish, it’s so grand.
The light He has given us will be shown.

We are Royal Brothers and Sisters.
Tell everyone that doesn’t know
The Royalty flows through our sons and daughters.
No more slaves, and no more tears.
There in His Kingdom is only love and laughter.

We are Royalty.
Royalty we are.