Have You Seen My Melanin?
by Maya “MayaSpoken” Basudde
Have you seen my melanin?
It’s what makes the darkness in my skin,
I would not be this beautiful chocolate shade without it.
Have you seen my melanin?
I heard Rosa Parks wore it when she sat in the front of the bus instead of the back of it,
Heard an order to switch seats and she laughed at it.
Have you seen my melanin? Seen its fist raised towards the sky proclaiming Black Lives Matter as its battle cry.
Have you seen my melanin?
Maybe you saw it on Martin Luther King as he preached his dream in 1963,
that one day my people would be free.
Have you seen my melanin,
On Nelson Mandela the first black president of South Africa?
Have you seen my melanin,
On Bessie Coleman the first black female pilot?
Have you seen my melanin,
seen it passed down through generations?
I believe that it’s something worth celebrating!
My melanin is the gold that beams off the sun rays,
my melanin is sweet like the brown sugar grandma would put in my oatmeal on Sunday’s.
My melanin loves coconut oil and Shea butter,
my melanin is at its peak during the summer.
My melanin is my momma parting my hair into two four sections.
My melanin is the tears that hit the floor as I cried momma my scalp is burning,
My melanin is me cutting off my permed ends,
It’s me looking at my coiled up hair and loving it.
My melanin is me not using a filter on Instagram or looking through the Aisles at Walmart for a lighter shade of foundation.
My melanin is the strength of a nation with enough wisdom not to let it be taken,
I wear my melanin with pride, I am black and I am proud!
Have you seen my melanin?
“I wrote this poem with the hopes of educating the children of our generation that there have so many reasons to love themselves and to be confident. Despite what society may tell them, their melanin is worth celebrating!” – Maya Basudde
About the writer
Spoken word artist Maya “ MayaSpoken” Basudde is a student at Algonquin College. She began writing at a very young age and competed in her first poetry slam at the City of Ottawa Youth Showcase in 2015 where she placed first. Since then, she has featured for Urban Legends and performed her poetry at events such as the 2015 Black History Month Show for the Senate and the 2015 Global Community Alliance’s Gala and Award Ceremony. Maya has always had a love for words and enjoys using them to create positive and inspiring messages for others. The above poem was recited at the launch and opening ceremony of the 2017 Black History Month on 28 January at the Library & Archives Canada.