“The new racism is to deny that racism exists.”
Let me share with you some lyrics from one of my favorite songs “Change” by Hip-Hop recording artist J.Cole. This song serves as one of many in which J.Cole describes being black in America and the systemic racism that has caused black people to walk the fine line of hope, sorrow & frustration all at the same time.
“The only real change comes from inside.”
You can talk about change, be enraged, or say you’re friends with a black person but you won’t ever truly know how it feels unless you are in our shoes. Until you wake up in the morning and think about running down a street with houses that have Trump flags flowing in the air. Racism was always there, but now it is on full display. When you see a car with a blue lives matter flag, all that means is that you are against black lives matter and more often than not, Racist.
Until your husband or wife, father or mother, boyfriend or girlfriend, brother or sister, uncle or aunt, grandpa or grandma, family friend or relative is a person who has experienced this you might not ever understand. When you have been around them constantly for years you may notice things in public that they don’t even notice. We see the police, we may look the other way. We have been born into this world with resilience. We have been born to be kind souls and humble beings.
“Know I got an angel cause’ I’m supposed to have a halo right now.”
I have been kindest to those who had the worst intentions, took me for granted, looked at me in shock because I spoke so “proper” and didn’t look like a “black person.” You have no idea how many times I wanted to lose my shit. What is a black person supposed to look like? But I have always been calculated, always been calm, I’m extremely patient. These things were some good traits I learned in childhood.
Photo Credit: Ariel Sinhaha
“My chosen religion, Jesus piece frozen from sinning / Doing dirt hoping to God he knows my intentions.”
As you can see this has been going on for centuries. Black Lives Matter technically started when Slavery began. Injustice and evil have been plaguing this world for a long time. The cries of our people have echoed what feels like an eternity. You see, people are not inherently good. We are born into sin, into having bad ideas, thoughts & prejudices. This dates back to biblical times and it is something you can find in the Bible. We do not deserve the beautiful world in which we live. We have allowed the looming evil to slip into our communities, government, and take over our lives.
Justice will not be served until those unaffected are as outraged as those who are. Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced!
“Life is all about the evolution.”
Change is a process, and if it happens it can be the most beautiful experience in the world. That why with what is going on in the world we have to stay resilient. We have to raise our young kings and queens to be patient, confident, and speak up. As a young black man, all I can do is be hopeful even when I feel like giving up hope. We have to do better. We have to leave this place better than we found it. We have to give people chances, love harder, stop judging, be kinder, understand more, listen more. We all make mistakes, tons of them. We all have not done the things I listed 100% of the time but that’s what makes us humans.
As frustrating as these events are we can never fold. When they go low, we go high.
J.Cole – “Be Free”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQZc8SH6EFk&w=750&h=422]“My intuition is telling me they’ll be better days”
J.COLE