I wish I could slam
About the handcuffs they put on black people’s pride
Or how the way that only considering blue lives leaves them blind

Because color is our crime

But theirs is a badge
And I wish I could slam
About how cell phones can’t even call out their lies when they mistake one for an object that can kill lives
Or how wallets become guns
But we don’t have a shot to prove that our lives are worth saving
When we can’t figure out what triggered the arrest
And all that’s revolving in our minds is
How we would kill for an explanation

I’ve heard stories
I’ve memorized names
I’ve cried with the mothers and cursed at the police to blame

But they’ve never made me think twice

About connecting these incidents to my life

I’m privileged
Because I’m a lighter color in a color blind world
Because my two X chromosomes don’t leave me in a situation with police where I’m asking Y
Because I could be an angry black woman
But never a dangerous black man

So I wish I could slam for my family and friends
Who grow up with discussions on how to address the police
Who have to be scared in their own cars
Who have to be cautious and strong and submissive and competent and innocent and positive and serious and know their rights, but not too well
Who don’t fit into the molds of society

But realized that the mold was broken for a reason and that they are masterpieces not broken pieces.
I wish I could slam the systemic racism and slam the prejudice and knock over the hate and crush the history that brought us here
So that black culture could really thrive
And so that black people could have the opportunities that would help us survive
But right now I’m using my privilege in the hopes that more black people stay alive.