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Why did you make me black?

Poet RuNett Ebo wrote "Lord, Why did you make be black?" to help us understand injustice and truth, and embrace blackness and imperfections.

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — I never run from competition.

In fact, as a high school student I competed in an oratorical contest.

As part of a NAACP ACT-SO competition, I did a dramatic interpretation of the poem, “Lord, Why Did You Make me Black?” by RuNett Ebo.

What is ACT-SO?

The NAACP's Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics is a yearlong achievement program designed to recruit, stimulate, and encourage high academic and cultural achievement among Black high school students.

ACT-SO includes 29 competitions in STEM, humanities, business, and performing, visual and culinary arts. Almost 300,000 young people have participated from the program since its inception.

Friday, we celebrated Juneteenth. It’s not a black holiday but an American holiday. I am reminded of the poem I first recited as a high school student.

This poem reflects sorrow and joy.

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