Chester Hopkins-Bey: Destination Destiny

(From Neighborhood Leader, Summer 2007 issue)

One of the most creative "reflections" at the graduation ceremony came from Chester Hopkins-Bey, who offered his thoughts in the form of a spoken word poem:

Destination Destiny
It's just a test you see
for us to be the type of people we expect to be
It's time for us to claim our soldiers from
these streets
Before they reach their life expectancy

Destination Destiny
Life is testing Me
I'm looking at this quest I see
and I feel it's best for me
To make a Legacy for all my people
to follow
We're out here struggling and striving
To make a better tomorrow
The pain in my heart is from a feeling of sorrow
as I look outside my window
I see my people get swallowed
by a system that hates us
It always berates us
When we're feeling good about ourselves
It always deflates us
Let's start with our history or the way
We perceive it
They omit us from the books and then
they tell us to read 'em
then we absorb the information
and we start to believe it
Then they give us welfare systems
and they tell us we need 'em
It's no wonder that this feeling
of self hate is deep seeded
Our mind is getting Hungry y'all
and We need to feed it
So educate yourselves. . .
Use knowledge like nourishment
and give back to your people
so that we can start flourishing

Because it's
Destination Destiny
It's just a test you see
for us to be the type of people we expect to be

It's time for us to claim our
soldiers from these streets
Before they reach their
Life expectancy