“An Ode to African American History Month”.
He’s going to float like a butterfly, and sting like a bee
Oh is that Mr. Muhammad Ali I see
For boxer and activist who punched his way through the world
Teach me how to dance
For allow us to do a pirouette because Mr. Alvin Ailey taught us that
He danced his way through the civil rights movements leaving us with the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater
Yes the power of written words to send to the presses
Mr. Robert Abbott left his mark on paper
Forever leaving us with The Chicago Defender
When she finally decided to unmute herself
The world of poetry was forever changed
Maya Angelou rose to occasion
And we will forever hear her words
He knew that God didn’t separate people
Only men did that
For Richard Allen and his teaching formed the AME church
You don’t always have to be seen to make a difference
Mrs. Ella Baker showed us that
Creating the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
Also known as, “Fundi”, your work is remembered
You better keep on writing and never stop
Because writing a novel to James Baldwin is a piece of cake
You can “Go Tell It on the Mountain” any day and he would still be writing
Fighting your way to the top and protecting your nation
We salute you Mr. Benjamin O. Davis Sr.
For being the first African American General in the U.S Army
No battle is too big for you
You had better sing it girl
All the way to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Aretha Franklin did just that
A piece of you will forever live on
And because of you
Many are alive today
Henrietta Lacks you are more than just history
For an ode to African American History month
I hope you too learned a thing or two
For knowledge is powerful
And history can never be unwritten
(Lacresha Dowdy is a graduate of Clinton High School, Piedmont Technical College, and Claflin University in Orangeburg. Since December, 2009, she has been the City of Clinton, Municipal Court, clerk of court.)
