Full poem was originally posted/found here

by Leslé Honoré

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/invited/7246301/60961c6d7586a0cd67babc86e7a0da3e8d38d7b7

The world owes you an apology

Not just the umpire

Not just the French Open

Not just racists who ask if you feel intimidated by Sharapova’s basic looks

Or being drug tested more than

The basic looking actual drug user

The nurses and doctors who ignored

Your knowledge

Of your own body

Almost causing your death

Every time they questioned your

Femininity

Ability

Strength

Integrity

Victory

They did so because of your skin

Asian parents who mold their children are

Tiger mothers

White parents who risk everything

Turn sex tapes into millions

Are momagers

But your father who made legends out of

Compton Concrete

Shaping you and your sister

Like Michelangelo chiseled David

He is loud

Obnoxious

Insane

The world owes you an apology

But we know it will never come

Because first they would have to acknowledge

The hatred

The racism

It isn’t your black panther suit

Your beauty

Your millions

You venting to a umpire

A broken racket

Or a demand of proper medical care

It’s your blackness that offends

Your power when you should be powerless

Your confidence

When you should always grovel

Always remind yourself

That you should thank them

for allowing you

To be on the courts at all

As if a Queen tells the jester

thank you for her

Throne

You are the living breathing embodiment of

#blackgirlmagic

The dream of our ancestors

The power of our foremothers

The strength that the

Middle passage

Slavery

Jim Crow

and America

Could not break

You are more than the

GOAT

You are goddess

Fearless

More than tennis

You are a living black legend

And they hate you for it

#Serena #GOAT #USOpenTennis #JustDoIt

#FistAndFire #Buymybookifyouwanna

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/invited/7246301/60961c6d7586a0cd67babc86e7a0da3e8d38d7b7