We as people who come from a drum woven past ridicule our name into something conventional

Just to fit into this white man's world

And why?

We fear humiliation so we hide behind a white man's name.

Wrong!

Why hide a name that fought through the extensive pain of the plantation days

Back bent and Looking down

Those people held thier ground

Looking up when forced to look down

The beating they endured

Slash by Slash

Whip by Whip

The cry of thier masters to stop

The pain and cuts of thier torn swollen skin

As they drop

Still with hope in thier eyes of a brighter day

They fought through thier pain

We as thier son's and daughter's hide thier name



Names like Masamba & Makena

Are now called Williams & Johnson

My brothers and Sisiters of the drum woven past

listen to that beat of the drum and hear your true name

ONYEKA,CHINEDU,SAMANYA,OLUCHI,ADE,ABEBE,OLA,ADA!

Do not be ashamed to know of your heritage

Of your beads and lace



Claim your village as those others claim thier streets

Wear you colors of pride and elegance

And do not fall into the Red & Blue of this society

My brethren know your name

Raise your flags as those of the others raise signs of a culture un-named



If they can share thier lives with others why can't we:

AMARA,BAHATI,AKOSUA,IMANI,FUMANYA,ADISHA,FEMI,CHINEDU,ISOBA,UZOMA!

Speak your language chant your name

Be your culture

Your name,with more value and meaning unlike the others

You have a culture

You are beautiful



Brothers & Sisters

Son & Daughters

Of the black human race

Think before you laugh at the children of the drum woven past

Remeber they know thier name

As they do not carry the tag

Of a white man's name