“We ain’t Rioting” by Katia Laurent-Joseph

We ain’t victimized no more.
We ain’t looting the streets,
nor terrorizing America.
We are reclaiming our Godlike image.
We are chanting our REVOLUTION.

We have become the prosecutor of an ill nation;
hunting down a system that has looted us from 1619 till today.
In fact, in those streets,
we are consciously freeing ourselves;
declaring our humanity;
proclaiming our dignity;
protecting lives in black and brown of this nation.
We ain’t rioting.

We ain’t rioting; we ain’t looting the streets.
freeing ourselves from the omnipresence of whiteness,
abject poverty, systemic racism, inequality…
liberating ourselves from historical trauma and injustice
this is our REVOLUTION
VIVRE our REVOLUTION!

The street prophets have spoken
weeping for the liberation of an oppressed people;
they have anointed our spirit to rebel.
this ain’t no pacifying preaching;
this ain’t no silent theology;
we ain’t rioting.
we are following
the Christ
Christ of the oppressed.
“We ain’t rioting,” the street prophets say.

The God of the oppressed commands: “Follow my Son.”
You must be a Christlike people:
He protested, rebelled, damaged property;
destroying commerce in the Holy Temple;
preaching a theology for the oppressed.
We ain’t rioting.

The Christ of the oppressed shouting out, “You ain’t rioting”
breathe my people, breathe, breathe!
run my brothers, run my sisters, run!
jog my people, jog, jog!
you are marginalized and cast aside;
I will bring peace with a sword and restore my image in you
to my likeness,
your blackness is mine,
your suffering I share.
This is our theology, a rioting theology.