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