Verse 1 (White Person)

In a system where everything is fair

Of course there’s something wrong for you

It’s amazing how irrational thinking

Spreads among your little crew

I didn’t choose this life it chose me

Put it in big words just like a header

But you know you can work hard, get a job, or simply do better

There is no such a thing as your space

We gave you plenty of those in the past

You remember separate but equal

Fake complaints that still won’t last

Maybe you should listen to my opinion

Your debates, my opinion I can lend in

But you have the nerve to shun me away

Dare I say I’m personally offended

 

Verse 2

Blame it on society, white privilege, or race it always repeats

But never blame it on your laziness, incompetence, passion they’ll never compete

It’s not my fault things are easier for me

Or I can have my pick off the Ivy League tree

Owning a Fortune 500 company

Is not just a Dream but also a reality

So why not go to an Ivy League

I would have gotten in no doubt

But at an HBCU my popularity and my clout

More simply my white, just happens to stand out

And when you see me cultural appropriating

Just know one thing

You don’t own a hairstyle or a type of clothing

Be thankful of the cheer I’ll bring

 

Verse 3 (Black Person)

See that’s what you don’t understand

You think it’s a joke so excited to play the next hand

But you don’t realize how much this affects this me

I don’t have the same opportunities you so happily get to reap

You don’t understand a black person’s struggle or pain

Or how HBCUs contribute to our gain

And even though your people contributed to our foundation

It’s because from the other school we’re banned

Now your decision to attend our schools

Is like asking to put our foundation in quicksand

Don’t you already have enough

Aren’t you overflowed with luck

But when we want spaces just for our culture to grow

A shot that you just don’t want to duck

 

Verse 4 (White Person)

All things considered you have made strides

But my decision can’t be that much of a surprise

We get everything we want in this world

A shot at this school I was just waiting to serve

But stop whining you’ve done enough

Supposedly your love is very rough

But deal with it just like the rest of society does

Come to the realization that the decision you hate your institution actually loves

Without me you do t even have the funds to run this school

Be glad I came here and soon my race will rule

 

Verse 4 (Black Person)

That’s the thing we don’t need you to survive

We were doing fine on our own

To you this place is a cash grab

To us it’s our home

There some things you can’t speak on

Your words mean nothing without a doubt

Being surrounded with people that look like you

Opportunities for me that I can’t even count

It’s not about right vs. wrong, money, or crews

But about having the black experience at an HBCU

 

Genre: This genre is rap lyrics. I chose rap lyrics because rap is a popular genre among young people. If you were to look at the Billboard 100, the top 10 songs are dominated by rap. Rap is a musical style that is famous for it’s no holds bar verses that at many times is used to send a message. It even has the power to represent political or social movements.

Purpose: My rap verses were inspired by Joyner Lucas’s “I’m Not Racist” where it’s a conversation between a white person and a black person that’s high satirical, but is very applicable to real life. The white person is coming from a place of anger and is trying to convey that it’s amazing that white people go to a HBCU because it benefits black people but they still remember to take slight jabs whether it’s bringing up “separate but equal” or how black people are stupid and lazy. Even though the white person knows they have the ability to go an Ivy League they took that spot of going to a HBCU from a black person all because they had the money. The black person is trying to convey how much going to a HBCU means to them whether it’s because of the educational opportunities or being surrounded by your own culture it has a greater meaning for them that the white person doesn’t understand. I want to show the extremes of how diversity can affect a HBCU through these lyrics.

Audience: My audience is young adults going through the college process and already in college.

Stance: Once someone reads the lyrics I want them to be more conscious of the decsion they make regarding their choice of college and how it can be perceived to other people even if it’s good or bad. When we look at the spectrum of responses that can be given it allows for us to make better decision with good intentions.