B A N G .

The

r i n g

of gunshots travel through the air.

B A N G .

B A N G .

B A N G.

B A N G.

B A N G.

B A N G.

B A N G.

They won't stop shooting.

T h e y

t h i n k

w e ' r e

t h e

e n e m y.

If you think racism is no longer prominent in today's world, you're wrong. Even a bat could see the way they look at us, like we wronged them by being born. How could you just stand and watch? We protest, peacefully of course, and we're called criminals.

D i d

y o u

k n o w

a

b l a c k

p e r s o n

i s

e i g h t

t i m e s

m o r e

l i k e l y

t o

b e

w r o n g f u l l y

c o n v i c t e d ?

That's right. How unfair is that?

W e

w a n t

j u s t i c e.

W e

w a n t

e q u a l i t y.

I s

t h a t

t o o

m u c h

t o

a s k ?

For some people, it probably is.

It would be 'so hard' to treat us the same as a white person.

We apparently don't count as people.

Why can't they see past a single color?

It doesn't make sense.

Neither does the bullet in my shoulder.

W r o n g

p l a c e ,

w r o n g

t i m e ,

one might say.

I don't think so.

They knew what they were doing when they pulled the trigger.

They knew they could take an innocent life.

T h e y

d i d n ' t

c a r e .

The policemen rushed over to me.

"Suspect down." I heard.

Suspect? Really? An eleven year old girl?

I heard sirens, both police and ambulance.

I

c l o s e

m y

e y e s .

I wake up to bright lights.

"Momma?" I ask. A nurse smiles at me.

"Your parents are on their way," he says.

The room was large for a hospital. My shoulder had been bandaged, it felt much better now. The only pain left was emotional.

When I was younger, I wanted to be a police officer.

To me, they were heroes.

A f t e r

a l l ,

w e r e n ' t

t h e y

s u p p o s e d

t o

k e e p

t h e

c i t y

s a f e ?

I reached for the remote on the bed-stand and turned on the T.V.

Wait a second, was that me?

My picture was in the corner of the screen. A news reporter mouthed my name multiple times.

I turned the volume up.

"An eleven year old girl was shot today near Lanchester Park." The reporter said. "Police said the girl 'matched' the description of the 30 year old suspect."

I turned the television off and shut my eyes.

H o w

d i d

t h i s

h a p p e n ?

W h y

d i d

t h i s

h a p p e n ?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

We say tomorrow will bring change

We forget about today because the next day won’t be the same 

We say mentalities have to be remodeled

We understand the world isn’t right, yet we still dawdle

Some talk but don’t listen

Some listen but don’t talk

How will anything ever get done? 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Imagine a world where people are treated the same. 

Not judged by their race, gender, orientation, or fame. 

Maybe in the far future, we won’t have to worry.

Currently people are always in a hurry.  

Perhaps the world will change on its own.

Where people won’t start their lives with one massive loan.

Is it possible for one person to alter society? 

Or do we all have to stand together to fight old mentalities? 

Either way expectations are changing. 

Despite everything, the world is rearranging.  

What matters is justice for all. 

For every human, short or tall. 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Upon us all, is a threat to humankind

Yet some of us stand oblivious and blind

To every injustice committed today.

Words cannot describe, words cannot say,

how tired and angry we are to obey.

We will stand up tall and fight for hope

We will rise from the ashes, we will climb the rope

Of happiness and justice for every human.

It's time to blossom like blumens.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

J U S T I C E

F O R

A L L

E Q U A L I T Y

F O R

A L L

F R E E D O M

F O R

A L L

L I B E R T Y

F O R

A L L

B L A C K

L I V E S

M A T T E R

F o o t n o t e:

C h a r a c t e r s

a r e

f i c t i o n a l ,

h o w e v e r,

t h e y

a r e

b a s e d

o n

t r u e

s t o r i e s.

Y o u r

v o i c e

c a n

b r i n g

c h a n g e .

P o l i c e

b r u t a l i t y

i s

s t i l l

a

l a r g e

i s s u e

i n

t o d a y ' s

w o r l d.

H e l p

f i x

i t.