Sunset to sunrise

Can’t you see the lies within their eyes?

They came to ruin our communities 

Capital of the Black Middle Class, my a**  

Is there still room for us?

“Renovating” my grandmothers house

We can’t afford to live here 

Prices skyrocketing like we on a race to the moon 

Shooting through our black roots 

Ripping us from the foundation

Is this really my nation?

The nation that my grandparents grandparents built 

The nation that is slowly shifting towards the “urban”

“What made Durham cool was the racial mix”

Using black bodies as a means of income 

Speaks to how far we’ve come

Living in the inner city is hip now

But listen to this tip about how 

Black people have been dying while y’all continuously thriving 

The concrete jungle is now a humble 

Location for the obronis to flourish 

Planting million dollar projects like bamboo

Y’all don’t really give a f*ck who

Is being displaced by this mad race

Why is there always a price for progress?

Why is the price always 

Black eyes and black cries 

Do we matter here?

Sunset to sunrise

Please hear our cries 

Elikem’s Corner, a series of poems from our Editor-In-Chief, Elikem Thee Poet. These poems give insight to a piece of her world; her own lived experiences and the experiences of people around her.