I wrote this 3 years ago; August 2020.
At the time, these names were in the headlines:
Jacob Blake.
George Floyd.
Philando Castile.
Breonna Taylor.
Tamir Rice.
The list goes on; everyday Black Americans murdered for being everyday people. We are all so damn tired.
And gutted.
On Saturday, a Nazi walked into a Dollar General in a predominantly Black part of Jacksonville, not far from Edward Waters University, a small HBCU. He opened fire with a gun blazoned with a swastika, murdered three more everyday Black people, and killed himself.
We are gutted.
Those of us with privilege, we walk a fine line between virtue signaling and letting our oppressed brothers and sisters know that we are allies.
Still, we cannot stop. When we stop, the racists win.
We have to stand.
Sonnet No. 84 – I Stand – protest poem #10
I will always stand with those who are oppressed.
I will always hear their cries: “I’ve been wronged.”
Until the inequality’s addressed,
this is the hate our beloved country’s spawned.
A woman says she’s raped. I believe her.
Black man says cops beat him. I believe him.
“My husband broke my nose.” Yes, he beat her.
They searched me ‘cos I’m Black. I believe him.
“I was not allowed to vote.” I’ll be there.
“Our drinking water’s lead.” It’s my mission.
“We have no health insurance.” I will care.
We’ll fight together until somebody listens.
There will be times when I am wrong, that’s true,
yet I’ll be right with history when we’re through.
--- August 2020.