Heritage of Arrogance

I grew up on Thomas Fight, it was lined with rebel flags

Mom and dad tried to teach me wrong from right, but their compasses were bad

I saw the Klan once with a child's eyes down the street where I would play

And angry Black people on the other side of the road with clenched fists raised

Two sides of a coin, the Klan and the APC

That's the kind of bullshit our daddies said to you and me

But I've been listening

Trying to keep myself from dismissing

Perspectives that I struggle to relate with

And I've been learning our true history and I hate it

Two sides of a coin implies there ain't no better side

It says racism and justice are equally justified

And I know I didn't ask to be born white

Wasn't taught the world was so goddamn unjust, but it's on us to make it right

Well, I got saved at the Baptist Church when I said the sinner's prayer

Went to service with mama and they's only white people there

I saw Rodney King on the TV screen turn slowly into Trayvon

I heard my parents make excuses for the man who fired the gun

Two sides of a coin, Jesus Christ and white supremacy

Looking back, it don't make any sense to me

But I've been listening

Trying to keep myself from dismissing

Perspectives that I struggle to relate with

And I've been learning our true history and I hate it

And two sides of a coin implies there ain't no better side

Says racism and justice are equally justified

I mean, I never worked the auction block or joined the Christian Knights

Never called someone a racial epithet at a traffic light

And I know we never asked to be born white

We were not taught the world was so goddamn unjust, but it's on us to make it right

Our inheritance is a heritage of arrogance and unchecked oppression

We can dismantle this if you can stand with us, siblings, our daddies never understood this lesson

And I swear that I don't mean that as a slight

They were not taught the world was so goddamn unjust, but it's on us to make it right