The world will judge you
But God knows your heart
Black prayers from past years gon' settle in
God is readin' the letters that we been mailin' in
Melanin skin deep, they like to meddle in
And put they knife to our wound, sharp on the metal end
Metaphorically speakin', I'm at a world peace
I met a girl who was weepin' and made her pearl cheeks glisten
But no one listen, her curled kinks cover her brilliant mind
Resilient kind, adapted, chameleon find
Fillin' linеs with lyrics,
Still couldn't do justice when touchin' her spirit
Bеcause she function from an unction, good luck with appearance
The surface ain't just where her worth is
'Cause her perseverance made it work when it didn't
Walked the Earth with a vengeance
Chocolate Hersheys, goddess with posture defyin' the physics
Of gravity, how she still laugh when her people were pillaged
But from the steeple and the mountain top, Jack
She still gon' say it proudly, "I'm black"
Don't cry brother, it's okay to be black
And don't cry baby, it's okay to be black
Get up my son, nothing can hold you back
And don't cry children, it's okay to be black
Shine, shine (shine), you're beautiful inside (yeah)
Hey, rise up, rise up, don't you know you can fly?
Lookin' at this generation feelin' hopeless
Lookin' 'cross my shoulder, keep my eyes open
Keep my mind focus, ain't no hocus-pocus
'Cause when it's all said and done, they will all know us
Tryna bring us down, keep us at our lowest
You thought you broke us, ha-ha, but you woke us
Be a leader, not a follower, a modern day Moses
I'm the water to the seeds that become roses
Black and beautiful (black)
Head to my cuticles, darkness is what I'm movin' through (black)
They want my eyes wide shut, that's just the usual (black)
How have I not died yet?
They tryna take my neck and put that shit through a noose
Black on black on black, black on black, black, my skin is so black
Black don't crack, that's why they gave us crack, now look where we at
Once I get some reparation racks, watch how I react
Keep that income tax, I need 40 acres in the pack
Don't let no one put you down
Let me see your smile (let me see your smile)
Don't cry brother, it's okay to be black (it's okay)
Don't cry baby, it's okay to be black
Get up my son, nothing can hold you back
And don't cry children, it's okay to be black
Shine, shine (shine), you're beautiful inside
Rise up, rise up (hey), don't you know you can fly?
Shine, shine, you're beautiful inside
Shine, shine, you're beautiful inside
Shine, shine, you're beautiful inside
Shine, shine, you're beautiful inside