You Cannot Tell Me! - Adrienne A. Wallace
You cannot tell me ...
That a white life is
more valuable than
a black life
because the God that I serve only makes human life and animal life.
There are and
Nationalities
Ethnicities
And phenotypes
Then there are species of
Land
Air
And sea
In fact... but life has been made.
This idea of race is a bit crazy since
You can’t tell me
there are any more than two
I’ve always known that there only two!
You cannot tell me
Animal and human, I said.
But then I saw the image of a man labeled police officer
kill a man labeled black man
labeled disposable
because he has a past unforgiven
and skin unprotected..
You cannot tell me that they are not white men who cheat systems, who rape, who steal, who pilfer, who deceive, rob and murder
All free of consequence.
Because they are white.
They live still without life being chocked out of them
without air being pressed out of their chests and throat
without bullets flying into
their backs
and their chests
and their heads
Through bedroom windows
Into their cars
The white skin protects them.
You cannot tell me
It doesn’t
You cannot tell me there are not
mothers
sisters
daughters
who are black and brown
Being killed too and
who worry
who ring their fingers in anxiety,
Who cannot sleep tight
Who cannot breathe right
Who cannot trust night
They await the return of a black husband
a black boyfriend
a black brother
a black son
Who just went for a run
Sat in a car
Went into a store without a weapon
You cannot tell me it is safe for a black friend going to the mall,
shopping in the supermarket
or driving 5 miles too fast or slow
You cannot tell me America thinks that we can continue
after 401 years
8 minutes
46 seconds and counting
to be:
maimed,killed,
lynched, mishandled,
denied and unaccounted for
You cannot tell me.
Until reparations.
Until atonements.
Until fair access.
Until hired.
Until appointed.
Until balance.
Until justice.
Until harmony for humanity.....
You cannot tell me:
It’s not about being black .
Adrienne A.Wallace, June 7, 2020
