All I could see was fear
When I looked into the eyes
Of those men dressed in riot gear
Using military tactics against peaceful protesters
This felt like spiritual warfare
It was then I knew what I was fighting for
Justice
Equality
Freedom
To protect the oppressed from tyranny
To fight for my brothers and sisters
Who’ve been stepped on, choked, murdered
For too long
Fighting to keep the flame of democracy alive
Against a swelling black tide
Fighting to keep black men and women alive
Fighting against cops who don’t care about Black lives
Fighting desperately against a growing evil
Fighting for George Floyd
For Breonna Taylor
For Michael Brown
For Eric Garner
For Tamir Rice
For Black lives
To fight generations of injustice

My soul is burdened
Knowing this fight is
Far from over
When we’re all that we have
We have to fight for each other

how about we
focus on
the blood
that’s painting
our streets red
and not on
the blood that
i can’t help
but shed

there is a
difference.
one of them
is unnatural.

Say their names, my sisters and brothers taken
They the ones society has forsaken
In life nor death given consideration
They come from around the world, every nation
Their entire lives, denied humanity
When will we see the end of insanity?
What if we cared less about their chromosomes
And welcomed them into our lives and homes?
What if, instead of showing them scorn and hate
We allowed them in life to participate?
Maybe if we said their names while still alive
Maybe if they were given a chance to thrive
Maybe if in life their value not denied
We'd not have to say their names when they have died

So I have a confession

My dad's a cop

Yeah, my dad's a cop he's worked his job for 30 long years
In that time he's probably seen a lot of messed up things that would probably drive most to insane laughter or ****** bitter tears.

Now you may be asking.. wait where are you going with this?
Are you going to register some harsh anti police sentiment?

Much like there is good and bad in the world, there are good and bad cops
That's true, and most are in agreement that these problems are a avoidable and should stop.
The fact there needs to be a distinction between "good" and "bad" cop
Is already a problem, so it seems as if we're ******* already from the top.

But, call me an incurable optimist
Because I think and know in my heart that we'll find a way out of this bloodstained mist
Not through division, but unity
And when we finally move beyond this... what a day that'll be...

I won't have kids
I'm very serious
Not until i can say to them
"I lived through a time when it was unhealthy to have your curly hair and brown skin,
When you could be killed over an assumption. Yes I know even if you had nothing to do with it.
I lived through a time when it didn't mean much to us to serve and protect.
But your generation can do better than us,
We caught and exposed via our phones and social media the power lustful and corrupt

But we only received this torch from those that walked up and down on this path before us.
I want you to do better and be better than us my child, so go out into the world and be proud of your heritage and who you are
Remember the struggles we went through, so they never happen again. "