America Who America Me

My country tis of me,

America who America me…

It’s all our blood in these here streets.

And unrested souls from those who were hung from the trees.

Because after that trip on that big ship to the land of the unknown and the real bullshit.

Utilized for experiments in labs and more, all of that was kept a secret.

America Who America Me do You really Feel free!

Sometimes your mind is in bondage all because of generational trauma.

Psych wards have you held captive, jail systems have you held captive, foster care has the children captive. Education with IEP

Medicate the kids with ADHD. It’s a new form of segregation.

America who America me it’s my country am I really free?

We march for justice and for peace.

It’s the government allowing the diplomats to bring drugs and guns into our streets.

Now that some are gentrified policing neighborhoods for their safety.

And they are on the corners copping it all from pills to coke, smoke, and dope.

America who America me it’s my country do you hear me it’s our bloodshed on these streets.

I sit in the park to watch my grandkids play and keep getting interviewed like I want to become someone, Nanny.

No, thanks you'll pass lady my great-grand paid that price already for all of this lineage.

America who America me I also speak for my Cherokee Trail of TEARS is what they call it.

It was a massacre is the truth, it was a setup, not a mistake. Written by FATAL About the Writer

Since the early age of ten. I've participated in NAACP as a youth representative and also assisted with her grade school at PS 189 in Brooklyn. In the early '90s, I moved to Canarsie to Breukelen houses and became the recording secretary of their resident association, Chairperson of the DEP (Department of Environmental Program) from 1992-1993 (better known as the drug elimination program) and was a part of the Breukelen head start advisory council. When there was a lack of access to youth programming, the Community Center desired a football team and extra curriculum activities, so I organized with other parents to form a team called the Pop Warner football & Cheerleading team Canarsie Conquerors. during that time, I became a certified Pee wee coach, and a Parent coordinator and implemented a program for etiquette classes for girls, scared straight for boys, and homework assistance. In 2008 I moved to Farragut Houses and I have participated as a member of the VIDA democratic club, and currently, a part of the ICAC intergenerational community arts council in Fort Greene sponsored and in partnership with BRIC Media Arts and University Settlement, and a member of lotus chapter #7 under the order of eastern stars / masonic brotherhood and during the height of the pandemic I volunteered with other residents to form Mutual aid groups in NYCHA and partner with the local MARP BID in distributing food to residents in NYCHA and the surrounding downtown Brooklyn area. Follow Tanja Richardson on IG Tanja Ladyk Richardson (@fatal_star21)