Dear Editor,

We led the fight against apartheid in South Africa,

And did not stop till they freed Mandela.

When Martin Luther King conjured up his dream for black America

It was all because of what he saw in Jamaica.

When Zimbabwe fought for freedom

They took inspiration from Bob, a Jamaican Rasta man.

And when the world looks for its fastest humans

All eyes turn to our little island.

February is too short to tell our story.

Some think the beach is our glory,

But we put our focus on Sam Sharpe, Garvey, and Nanny.

And Did I mention that little Koffee won a Grammy?

Of our history we are proud

And as Jamaicans we’re never afraid to shout it out loud

Especially when it’s Black History Month.

Them give us the shortest month to celebrate wi history

Even though them story nuh big like fi wi.

A who them a come give February?

Yu think that is enough time to talk bout miss Lou and Ranny!

Fi talk bout Wailers: Bob, Peter, and Bunny!

Wonder why them choose February?

So that we don’t have time to celebrate Bolt, Asafa, Elaine, and Shelly!

Suppose we really start talk black history,

like how Africa had the first university

And when them ready fi get chatty-chatty and put them friends on hold,

hope them remember black girl Shirley Jackson invented di touch-tone phone

And when them turn on them light, a wonder if them know say is a black man

invent the carbon filament so it can stay on all night.

A who them a give the shortest month?

A wonder if them know we have history so tall it could reach the sun.

But mek we come back right a Jamdung

A wonder if them know we have the fastest man weh ever run.

You know why them give us the shortest month?

Them nuh want hear we history!

Them want we hurry up and go siddung.

Shakey Williams

shakeywilliams2022@gmail.com