Dear Girl, ft. Kendra Lyrics

From an early age little black girls are taught

That the pigment in their skin determines where they line up

In a crayola stain world not yet created for them

They're taught to never color outside of the lines

To never think outside of the crayon box

To never hope to see the bigger picture of who they truly are

The world has given you hand-me-down trauma that does not yet belong to you

But is somehow already helixed within your melanin

You'll tell yourself if you could just wade in the water a bit longer

Scrub a bit harder

That you'll be able to wipe your history clean

You fail to see yourself clearly.

The haze of a distorted figure just before you wipe back the steam

Your time is spent deconstructing yourself in the mirror

Trying to convince the darkness of your shadow that you're someone worth following

But dear girl

You were not designed to fade into the background

To stand by the sidelines and not make a sound

Often the fluorescence of a flamingo surrounded by pigeons can sound far too loud

These burdens lie in weight

Just as heavy as the finely crafted box braids that swing to the beat of their own drum

Without missing a beat or a step

You'll find a way to glide to the tune that only you and your people can hear

From the radiance that reflects from your cheekbones

To the noble blood that flows through your veins

You must know that every cuticle

Every follicle

Every inch of your very being

Is fearfully and wonderfully made

Dear Girl

You must know

That you are the future