Respect

by Nyelle

I am a person
One who should have respect,
I am an African American
And proud to be.
The tears I shed
The blood I shed,
Innocent souls dead,
For being judged
We need respect.
I should be judged
By how I act.
I should be judged
By what I do
And what I say.
Also what I have
To offer the world.
Not by a color which
People call black.
We all need to respect.
Don’t be afraid of me:
You can love me,
Or you can hate me.
All that matters
In the end,
I am still a
Child of God.
And a human being.
I need respect
We all do.
But first,
We all need to know
What is respect?
And what does it mean?