Every year, the conversation around Black history seems to follow the same pattern. It’s always “let’s talk about Black history,” usually relating to Black hardships and adversities, but never “let’s talk about Black excellence and Black glory.” Usually our options are either trauma or slavery. It’s not that we don’t value the story in Roots, but how can you teach us about the African family tree and fail to mention its fruits? We use the word enslaved and not slave because we did not start as slaves. We were kings and Queens.
What if I told you the African family tree was royalty,
Kings and queens, scholars and visionaries, built on loyalty.
What if I told you Black history didn’t start with chains,
But with pyramids so precise, even time bows to their names?
› “The Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.” (Deuteronomy 28:13)
What if I told you we didn’t just survive,
We thrived, we built, we led – our genius still alive?
› “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:20)
What if I told you innovation flows through our veins,
From the traffic light to the supercomputer mainframes?
› “Do you see a person skilled in their work? They will stand before kings; they will not stand before obscure men.” (Proverbs 22:29)
What if I told you we turned pain into poetry,
Blues into jazz, hip-hop into prophecy?
What if I told you Black women are the blueprint,
The backbone, the brilliance, the movement’s imprint?
› “God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.” (Psalm 46:5)
What if I told you we don’t just break barriers –
We build bridges, rewrite narratives, and shatter limits?
› “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)
What if I told you resilience is our birthright,
And no history book could dim our light?
› “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
What if I told you our story isn’t just about what we endured,
But about what we created, uplifted and secured?
› “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)
What if I told you we are more than conquerors,
That no struggle could ever take what’s ours?
› “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37)
What if I told you you wouldn’t have open-heart surgery,
If Dr. Daniel Hale Williams hadn’t paved the way medically?
What if I told you our hands built more than chains,
We laid the railroads, the White House, and rewrote the game?
What if I told you the microphone you use,
Was fine-tuned by a Black man so your voice could cruise?
What if I told you home security got its start,
Because a Black woman refused to live in the dark? (Marie Van Brittan Brown – home security system)
What if I told you the first clock in America to chime,
was built by Benjamin Banneker, ahead of his time?
What if I told you the world moves because of us?
From the stoplight to the elevator doors, we made life adjust. (Garrett Morgan & Alexander Miles)
What if I told you our skin is kissed by the sun,
A glow so rich, even gold looks undone?
› “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14)
What if I told you our melanin isn’t just skin deep,
It holds history, strength and promises we keep?
What if I told you my melanin is too dark to throw me shade?
What if I told you our hair defies gravity,
Coils and curls reaching up like a galaxy?
What if I told you our locs, braids, and twists aren’t just trends,
They’re stories of survival passed down through our hands?
What if I told you our crowns were never meant to be tamed,
Afros standing tall, unshaken, unchained?
What if I told you Black don’t crack,
Because our beauty moves forward and never looks back?
What if I told you our features aren’t just admired,
They’ve been copied, stolen, and still left unmatched, inspired?
What if I told you our lips, full and bold,
Speak truth, drop wisdom, and let our stories be told?
What if I told you the world tried to dim our light,
But we shine too bright, too fierce, too right?
› “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14)
What if I told you our beauty is not up for debate,
It’s art, it’s power, it’s something no one can recreate?