No Apology - a poem

NO APOLOGY
 
CHAINED AND ENSLAVED
SOLD AND CONTAINED
NO APOLOGY
 
LYNCHINGS AND JIM CROW LAWS
GLASS CEILINGS AND CLOSED DOORS
NO APOLOGY
 
COLONIAL RULE AND CENTURIES OF OPPRESSION
RACIST ATTACK UPON ATTACK IN SUCCESSION
NO APOLOGY
 
APARTHEID AND SEGREGATION
INEQUALITY AND DISCRIMINATION
NO APOLOGY
 
POOR HOUSING, LOW PAY
RACIST ABUSE DAY AFTER DAY
NO APOLOGY
 
IGNORANCE AND PREJUDICE
BIGOTRY AND INJUSTICE
NO APOLOGY
 
BRUTAL KILLINGS WITH NO REMORSE
TREATED AS INFERIOR AND VIEWED AS WORSE
NO APOLOGY
 
NATIONAL FRONT AND THE BNP
FAR RIGHT POLITICIANS ON TV
NO APOLOGY
 
TOP GEAR AND DAVID STARKEY
OFFENSIVE NAMES LIKE WOG, PAKI AND DARKY
NO APOLOGY
 
STOP AND SEARCH, RACIAL PROFILING
WORKPLACE HARASSMENT AND BULLYING
NO APOLOGY
 
ATTACKING MULTICULTURALISM
INSTITUTIONAL RACISM
NO APOLOGY
 
BUT WHEN A BLACK POLITICIAN POSTS A TWEET ONLINE
SHE’S WRONGLY ACCUSED OF COMMITTING A RACIST CRIME
WHILST ALL WE’VE EXPERIENCED IS EXPECTED TO BE FORGIVEN
THIS IS THE  RESPONSE I BELIEVE SHE SHOULD HAVE GIVEN
NO A-PO-LO-GY

Zita Holbourne

Listen to Zita perform this poem at: http://soundcloud.com/zita-holbourne/no-apology