What About Us On Def Poetry Jam

The levees broke in
New Orleans, and man
It was a shame, that
The camera crews and
The national news, merely
Whispered our names
"Mississippi" What about us.
Was it the value of the land,
Or the worth of the man, that
Made you look away, when Katrina
Hit, like "Bam". Celebrities
Weeping in Louisiana streets,
While rubble and destruction still,
In Mississippi, what about us.
Once again, victims of national neglect,
Poor response, choked our hope,
Like a noose around our necks.
The national leaders, left us hanging
Like the day of the tall trees,
While the wind and rain, (pauses)
While the wind and rain erased our
Lives. But most of y'all acted like
You didn't see. How the hell do you expect
Us to be mentally free. What about us.
Where's the healing? The glass ceiling,
That our nation has erected, our children
Not protected, feeling dejected, hanging their
Spirits in shame, because they were born in a place
That's synonymous with pain. Though the weather
Changed, more shit remains the same. We keep
Playing America's fucked up game. What about us.
The constitution guarantees equal protection,
There must be a connection between, what the government
Says, and what the government does, not do.
The world watches TV and think that with through building
And that with through repairing, while the effects
Of Katrina are still glaring...what the fuck about us.
What about us, and since nobody else will say it, I will,
MISSISSIPPI!!! What about us.