When we code switch
We do it for our survival....
Especially when we get around
The police officers....
Listen
White people
Listen hard and closely
Even Asians and Arabs
Other races out there
We're not your costumes
We're not your cosplays
Our complexions ain't your blackface mask
Y'all always want the rhythm
But never the blues...actually y'all mock our blues
Tellin us to get over it....
While y'all actin like us....
Cos y'all wanna be like us
So bad....and we give y'all the side eye....
Like we're tired of y'all
Robbin our culture....
Our own culture we created
That y'all copy....
Let me tell y'all somethin
Durin slavery
We got beaten, gag,
Torture way too much
If we did our traditions,
Our spirituality
Our mama tongue
Massas took that away
From us....this is why
We had to adapt
European ways
And create our own culture
For us cos our nature culture
Has been stripped away...
Even our names disappeared out of
Sight...
We have to carry a white people names
It's why we have too much identity crisis....
We don't know who we are as our own people...
Which is sad....
So when we have a culture
To survive tryin to gatekeep
But other black people let y'all in
And y'all copy, y'all make profits
Y'all took all the credit
Which we shook our heads at y'all...
Y'all say y'all got black friends
Been around black people
And got biracial kids
Still, yall code switch to your natural selves
When it comes to your races...
For us
We change our tones our behaviors
When it comes to white people
Or Asians or any other races
It depends on situations
Cos like for us we're sadly conditioned
To be extra kind to the people who doesn't
Looks like us....but when it comes to us,
It's easier for us to be ourselves
I mean we said nice things to each other
However with the condition of division
We say a lot of mean things to each other....
Is that a code switch or is that somethin else?
We have a split personality
One for races and the other one for us....
Do you know where I'm gettin at?
I'm doin my best to understand
Code switch...and white folks code switch
To black cos they wanna be black....
Love our culture, fetishizin us
Then when it comes to oppression,
They switch back to being white
And I'm like huh,
I saw Koreans
Actin like us
Clothes dance hip hop
And I'm like
Shakin my head....
You know what psychologically,
They're beaten us gag us
Erasin our credit
Our blueprint
Thinkin
We can't have nothin....
If we don't ever gatekeep our shit,
We will be like
We don't have a culture
We have nothin
Not knowin
We're the originators in the first place...
It's why other races
Code switch for a reason
Cos they wanna rob
Our beautiful gems....
And be like us while we're hatin
Our own damn selves....
Ain't that crazy?
I'm uncomfortable
With this logic
With this truth
I have to say it
Cos I saw a white woman
Actin like a black woman
On TikTok in a YouTube video
Then I saw stitches
Of people responded
Mention the code switch....
Look it up
And now here I am
Talkin about code switch.....
I think I understand....
💯✊🏿© Kai C. 1-9-23