(poems go here) Age five. He had that innocence we all once have.
asking to play with someone of a different skin
he knows no difference between people he sees
His mother tells him we live in a “black and white world son”
but those words have no meaning.

Age sixteen. That young boy lost that innocence as we all do
finding himself walking with his head down in shame.
he walks in shame for something there is no control over
he learned to see the world as his mother once told him
“we live in a black and white world”

Age twenty. He becomes tired of believing that he is of the lesser
he grew up believing that he had to live in fear because of his skin
that he deserves less because of a pigment
he looks in the mirror and wishes people would see his heart before his skin
he told himself that I am done living in this black and white world

Age twenty-five. He shared a dream of equality
that one day he could hold his head with pride
that one day he could smile at his children playing
and know they do not see the black and white world

So he would march and fight and not turn back
because as soon as he fell silent the battle had be lost
he would go to walk-ins and sit-ins for America to be equal
he strove to end the black and white world

Today he walks with his his head held high.
his world is filled with color
he will never go back to that black and white world