Adversary or Advocate in the George Floyd Era 4-20-21
Adversary or Advocate
Neutrality is a slick and conspicuous complicity
That says "I'm with you, not in public or with policy,
but only in my head in privacy."
And though you think it's privacy,
it’s clear to me that performative
with ignorance is a bad recipe
See, no say!
Say, no Do!
Do, but don't!
Don't ignore the obvious
Are you with us?
Don't you see us?
Can't you feel us?
Jump in, buckle up
And come run long side of us
But if you are compelled
Know this journey won't be easy.
It's not a battle...it's war.
It's a marathon, not a race.
So get those shoes,
get 'em laced.
But know folks, like family who you love,
might find you a disgrace, like you've lost taste...
in what's good and pure.
But their idea of what's pure is what got us in this effed place.
Listen to what I have to say and how I say it
Not watered down, palatable or pureed.
Those ways will only perpetuate and strive to placate.
Is you for us or is you against us?
Will you stand up for me...not situationally or seasonally
but til you sho nuff see change in high and low places.
High and low places, but not change that looks like remnants and crumbs.
I'm talking about change that brings about a rude awakening
where Black Lives Matter truly looks and feels like All Lives Matter.
As a matter of fact can we just look back
for a minute to see where we came from
to have a greater vision of where we going?
Where we been involved, a trust so low, it hit the flo.
Where we came through the back do, bent over
glaring at injustice and inequity like it was JUST US
who recognized what was OB VIOUS.
And you know yo mama's and my mama's
mama's mama's mama's mama is saying the same damn thang...
that ain't much here changed.
It's a shame and a blessing that a knee on a Black man’s neck
or a Black woman getting no knock shot dead in her bed
would turn this entire nation on its head.
But those who are adversities would have wanted us
to ignore these travesties and injustices instead.
Like deranged narcissists wanting to blame anyone but themselves.
But change doesn't come by ignoring a problem.
It comes by dealing with it straight on.
Advocates, when you stand with us
you may lose friends and loved ones,
but when WE stand for us, we lose friends, family and our very lives.
Ask Martin, Malcolm and Medger to name a few.
All fought for a righteous cause and in the end, lost their lives, too.
O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?
And just last year round June 1st, you did a thing.
You said it
You wrote it
You tweeted it
You posted it
With courage and conviction,
tears, confessions, feeling real sad, mostly saying,
"I'm so so sorry, I just didn't know it was that bad!"
Your eyes were opened wide and the pain we've long felt for generations after generations,
pierced you deep inside in a place our ancestors
have long endured and persevered through,
with equity nor justice nowhere in sight.
But last year you said we'd get equity and equality we'd get it right,
you pledged to be with us in this fight.
Yes
You said it
You wrote it
You tweeted it
You posted it
Wait a minute
Wait a minute
Wait a minute
You EVEN marched with us
Yes, you put in the work, fist raised high,
with posters and chants, risking it so we'd all advance.
You even put a blacked out post on yo FB and IG page.
For us it was a quiet rage. But for you, was that just a stage?
Was that for real or was that for show?
Cause at this point the visual, physical, political, educational,
financial and economic opportunities and advancements of
receipts you have would let us know.
I heard you
We heard you
We read,
re-tweeted,
forwarded and hashtaged it all,
Heads held high
Feeling like we weren't fighting this battle by ourselves
Now we were certain, this topic was no longer gonna
be hidden away on shelves
We are tired, exhausted, saddened, afraid and mad.
We're angry because the history you may have overlooked
and ignored has been and will always be seared deeply in our hearts.
1619 is what bonded us from the start.
You say you got a lot you learn. Well keep learning.
Last year was only the beginning.
Don't let your hunger and thirst get weary nor your diligence wane.
We can't afford for you to get cold feet and tap out of the game.
Now to us, that's just lame.
But for some reason right now still kinda looks a lot like last year before May 25th.
Like time has stood still, with hardly a historical shift.
The topics of inequity, inequality, disparity and racial polarity
still seem to permeate all news outlets and social media entities.
How you suppose we gone get equity?
When centuries of ingrained inequity has created a deep chasm
of disparity displaying to the world our dirty little past,
Spread out like a deck of cards for all the world to see.
But the remedy doesn't start with me
You know why? Cause I don't hold the key to unlock what's fair
and just to me and everyone else who looks like me.
What we need from you is Intentionality.
With data, action and traction to track work put in
and anecdotes from US with truth and reality of a new
and changed world we ALL should strive and work hard see.
In order for sustainable change, intentionality must rise and remain.
In order for sustainable change, intentionality must rise and remain.
Don't look over your shoulder wondering who in talking to. I'm talking to you!
I know in my heart that when a change ACTUALLY begins to happen
us BLACKS will be shouting from the rooftops,
a CHANGE DONE COME!
I know I'm right about what I know Black people will do.
If we protest loudly, then we'll surely THANK loudly
and give credit where credit is due...
to allies when we see they actually have put in the work and to initiate change.
But what you've come to find out is this work is hard as hell.
Well, well, well
Welcome to our world!
Hope you write more, sis...
ReplyDelete