Tuesday, 24 April 2012

Spoken Word Poem: The Voice of Diversity


The Voice of Diversity
By: Kristy Tremblay

Are we free?
Do we really make our own decisions?
Or are we misguided and taught to resent?
Based on the physical;
In our appearance are we limited or blessed?
Does the colour of my skin mean that I deserve less?
What of those born to this Nation,
Cast out by the first to set in motion European immigration.
We are only as strong as the weakest link in our chain.
Negativity is contagious,
Plaguing all other links with hatred.
Forgive me for not wanting to catch the disease of negativity.
Optimism is rarely contagious;
It’s a choice.
We need to give diversity a voice.
The majority lacks susceptibility.
No ability to fuel the positivity.
Hate, pain;
Improbability, impossibility.
People lack the desire, drive and dedication to change this nation.
What is race?
American Indian or Asian?
Black, African American, Latino, Hispanic or Native?
White or Caucasian?
Yeah, White or Caucasian.
I check the box.
At least I think that’s me,
Caucasian?
Must I fall victim to this checkbox initiation?
Is race really a human creation?
They say identifying oneself is a step towards equality,
I call fallacy.
It makes no sense to me.
How could it be that to prevent discrimination against
Those who have been discriminated against
Can truly be accomplished by discriminating against the majority?
On whose authority?
I can’t get that job because I’m not a visible minority?
Will I become a minority if we keep discriminating against the majority?
Will the obsession with ethnicity become cyclical?
So obsessed with the physical.
What is race?
Is it our creation?
What makes a Haitian a Haitian?
Or an Asian an Asian?
What of gender and sexual orientation?
Is it man versus woman?
Is it blacks versus whites?
Does is matter if two men kiss each other goodnight?
Where do I begin?
What of religion?
Dare I tackle the concept of theology?
Shall I offer an apology for the words about to spill out of me?
Go ahead, shout at me.
But, first, try to explain religion to me.
Is religion God?
Is religion the Church?
Is religion strictly woven in the words of a Bible verse?
Will I go to Hell?
Are my questions laced with blasphemy?
Is it wrong to question what’s in front of me?
Islam,
Judaism,
Buddhism
And Christianity.
How am I to know what is right for me?
These titles,
These labels,
Classifications,
Identifications,
Are they all just creations?
Liberal,
Conservation,
Democratic,
What’s your affiliation?
Are we the ones building the walls of segregation?
Where are the bridges to join our nations?
Martin Luther King wasn’t the only one with a dream.
I envision children in harmony.
I envision a new face of race;
Different colours, sizes and shapes.
A multicultural embrace.
In a university of diversity,
Together in unity.

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