Communities

by Jace Valentine

This is beyond police brutality,

It the abuse, separation, oppression, suppression of black people,

People of color and their communities.

Marginalized communities, neglected communities, rejected communities 

Ones that get overwhelmed by fear with the echo of sirens. 

Ones that surpass but will never get the same opportunities because we go to segregated schools. 

Ones that don’t get the job because of their name,

Because of their hair type, hair style 

Because of their skin color. 

Never judge a book by its cover…

But if you paint the cover wrong what else is there.

Call us savages, beast and trouble. 

But have no issue taking our hairstyles, 

Kim does it and everybody starts callin ‘em Kim-braids but when we do cornrows we ratchet and unkept.

Taking our slang,

Deadass word to my timbs- singing nigga in they car, but then calling us ghetto and unprofessional because we speak a “ghetto” tongue you can’t match. 

Taking our music, 

Our rhythmic beat is incomparable to someone who can't clap on beat.  

Take the swag and dip in our walk,

Then call us sluts for walking with a little bit extra in the hip.

Murals spray painted, 

Candles that burn through the night,

And flowers that are seen too often.

Communities where everybody knows everybody,

So everybody cries

Mourning for sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, friends and cousins

Communities that no matter what,

Still keep going,

Even when the odds are against them,

The system is built against them,

People are against them,

They still keep going.