Manual High Student Poetry: I’m Proud to be an American

I’m Proud to be an American

by Hudson Janz

Students from Manual High School in Denver visited KGNU recently to record some of their poetry. In their 10th grade American Literature class, the students have been writing, discussing, and reading about “The American Dream”. They’ve been inspired to write their own poetry on this theme. KGNU will be featuring these poems throughout January.

Manual High Student Poetry: I’m Proud to be an American kgnu

“I’m proud to be an American Where at least I know I’m free”
Yeah I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free
Where ME the white man knows that he is free
I know that my African-American and Latino brothers and sisters may be free in one sense
but not the sense that the white man is
I am one and a half as likely to get a job as my Latin brother is
I am twice as likely as my African-American brother or sister.
When my African-American sister FINALLY gets hired she only gets paid 52% of what I make at the same job
How am i supposed to be proud when one in 6 of my Latina brothers will go to jail
Where one in 10 will be dead due to gang violence by 21
Even worse one in 3 of my African American Brothers will be put in jail
And one in 5 will be rotting in the ground by 2
That means that at least 26 of the 80 in our class will not be living the American Dream by age 21
“I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free”
Yeah I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free
Where ME the white man knows that he is free
I’m glad to know that I am free to shoot and kill an innocent Black man
Only because he looks suspicious because he has a hoodie, a bag a candy and some tea
I’m glad to know that if I go to jail on some weird occasion I’ll only go for half of what my African American brother will go for if we do the exact same crime
It seems like to me that Lady Justice may be peeking
“I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free”
Yeah I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free
Where ME the white man knows that he is free
I’m glad to know that only ten percent of white families have a single parent home
While African American and Latino families have an average of 40 percent
I’m glad to know that whether my white parents are married or divorced will make more than a married couple of any other race
“I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free”
Now I’m pissed off….I’m Infuriated…I’m Irritated…I’m raging
that the White race Is the ONLY race that gets to live the true meaning of life, Liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness in this country…
In this country full of white male dominance…..
in this country full injustices….unlevel playing fields….. and men and women who judge everything
So tell me are you proud to be an American…Because I ain’t