Denmark Wasn't Right: The United States Isn't Right Either

Ignorance should never be an excuse for the continuing of inhumane practices;
We should all know the contentions of the past so as to not ignorantly forward the malice.
For as long as we live we must strive to do better than we did yesterday.
Today we are charged to go far beyond our stance of constant dismay.

This year we went on a far-away journey.
We went, not to vacation, but to provide some kind of support for our part of the story.
Under Danish rule we weren't given our freedom by Gen. Peter von Scholten;
It was the forceful outrage of Gen. Budhoe and other slaves that freed us from slavery.

No one thought that by curating a museum exhibit on this horrible past we'd be pushed into even harder conversations.
Our encounters with locals, the amount of progress we made, it was far beyond the parameters of our self-constructed pre-conceived notions.
As I stood in the court of my former master,
I was even more embarrassed to be carrying the passport, representing my future forecaster.

                                                               

I mean, who did I think I was bringing up such a topic to a young crew?
But wait, let's just appreciate that it was conceptualized by this little few.
If these kids are able to repeat the truth of slavery's past as we've said and not keep it hidden up on the shelf,
History would have too hard of a time trying to repeat itself.

What if America came to this same realization;
What if we all sparked this kind of conversation?
Human trafficking in the United States doesn't stem far from slavery,
but if the you really think about it, its colonial rule over U.S. territories makes the point of freedom weak and very weary.

Why are the territories worth mentioning, talking about, or being recognized?
Let's start by saying it'll save our mother country from a cruel demise.
The prize goes far beyond being able to vote,
It's not about having leniency longer than any size of rope.
We exist and we are people, we are oppressed, so don't expect us to continue to cope.

The President of the Virgin Islands

I feel like I've said this over and over again,
Are we enemies or more like un-close friends.
I'm lost in this past that has been made present,
Lost in a limbo, one very unpleasant.

Please know that this is the year of our centennial.
100 years as a U.S. territory, yet the thought  hasn't hit the country's cranial.
We want to believe that we aren't in this alone,
But really all we have is each other, this relationship is what we refer to as "home."

First, he refers to our governor as president,
And yes, it's really what he meant.
Test after test, I guess we're failing them all,
Is the 100th going to be the year we fall?

Independence or penance for our differed history?
Should we try to add more to an already sad story.
We are tired and at most, weary.
Our blue skies are constantly getting teary.

Trouble in Paradise

We cried and we cried, but no one heard
We cried and we cried, but no one saw our hurt
We saw the news casts that Irma and Maria wouldn't hit the U.S. 'till 4 tomorrows,
Meanwhile the people in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico were in pain and sorrow.

                                                                           

We spent days and weeks calling news stations, begging to be covered,
CNN, Fox, and CBS, they never acknowledged the level of crisis the locals had discovered.
For being known as a mother of mothers the U.S. did such poor job choosing a care so mild
The news, our president, the entire cohort, they treat us as the neglected middle child. 


What if I told you that 2 Category 5 hurricanes hit the islands over the span of two weeks?
What if I told you that many haven't been able to get their normal eats?
Although the local positivity towers,
Many have not been able to at least take cold showers.

While there is devastation all around, there are some spots that maintain the glory of the island,
We still maintain our community values towards each other in love and,
There is hope growing on each branch of our now barren trees,
Hopefully we jump back fast enough, before our industry leaves.

We Are More Than A Generalized Group

I'm being choked I'm being stifled,
America is holding me at the tip of her riffle.
We've been known to some as "America's Paradise,"
But why is it that in crisis, we can barely get anything, not even a full enough pot of rice.

Enough about the hurt though, let's talk about our size.
We extend all over the U.S. and back, we are a true prize.
Alexander Hamilton, that's us, and Tim Duncan too;
These two men are apart of the St. Croix crew.

No, we are not from Jamaica like everyone automatically thinks, we are a unique group.
This is why some of us hide our accents in this melting pot, turned into a sloppy soup.
We are the most eastern point of the United States, for God's sake.
To get this through to those far beyond our lines, what is it going to take?

From: An Un-American American?

I can die for my country, but can't vote?

I have to keep it all to myself,

Because to everyone else, it's a dumb joke.

The world may be so tired of us speaking, but I'm just tired of silently taking this beating.

For me I see a blank spot.

Nothing filled in the space on the paper for my blank race, ethnicity,

My blank voice gets an empty pot,

And so, nothing is cooking; they've cleared the path for the failure of our people they've sought.

College admissions calls me international,

Like no one owns a map.

I'm twice a slave and I'm telling you, its been really wack, 

Because at least in this day, no one should have to deal with this crap.

I'm not black 'nor am I white, the Supreme Court sets as a principle.

I'm apart of an alien race says the Insular Case,

No wonder why I feel so trapped.

We may not appear big, but that little dot doth still stain every map.

"Slave trade was abolished years ago," is what they'd like to be said,

But it didn't really, because to the United States of America, we were sold again.

Colonial history sneaks right back up under us with a heightened monopoly.

Yes, say it, we were bought, we are owned, we are only mere property!