Wait My Turn

Wait my turn

When will you white women ever learn?

I had the same old talk with Carrie Chapman Catt

20 years ago

I thought you might be better

But you still don't know

You want me to wait my turn

To simply put my sex before my race

Oh, why don't I leave my skin at home

And powder up my face?

Guess who always waits her turn

Who always ends up in the back

Us lucky ones born both female and black

Wait my turn

Well, I sure don't see you waiting yours, no

You're preaching, "We demand it now"

While knocking down locked doors

But you want me to wait my turn

So you don't offend your southern base

Since when does radical roll over for bigots

In the first place?

That's not leadership, Alice

It's cowardice

I hear you quote Frederick Douglass on your soapbox

Intending to include and impress us

But in the press, you play down our involvement

And here behind closed doors

You attempt to suppress us

"Deeds, not words" says the button on your jacket

So sick of rhetoric with no action to back it

If you don't have the spine to stand with us now

What will it take?

You do have a choice

There's always a choice

Which one will you make?

Don't you dare tell me to wait my turn

In truth, it's not your call

Either I march with my own state delegates

Or I don't march at all

I'm not here to soothe your guilt

That is none of my concern

I won't beg for your approval

Which I shouldn't have to earn

So no matter what you tell me

I will not wait one more minute

For my turn