Make Sure It Meant Something

Kaia Norfleet

 

Don’t ever tell me you, as a black person,

decided not to vote.

You know your history and

You’d still choose not to vote?

It can’t be that you don't care!

I won’t believe it;

You have to care.

 

It has to matter that so many

people fought for this exact moment.

They gave their lives for you to be here.

To see this.

To see you, yes you, vote

To see you make a mark

To see you have a voice

To see you make an impact

They died for you.

So just in respect to them,

You have one obligation.

Make sure their efforts weren’t in vain

 

They gave their lives in a doomed today

So you could have a better tomorrow

WWII Veteran Maceo Snipes got shot

on his front porch so you could vote

So just in respect to him,

You have one obligation.

Make sure his effort wasn’t in vain

 

And you don’t have an excuse

No, you have nothing better to do.

Yes, you have a duty to your country

But most of all you have a duty

to those who came before.

 

So yes, you have are obligated to vote

Not just in this election.

But every election

You have one obligation

Make sure your ancestors’ efforts weren’t in vain

See you at the polls.