Battle

Black skin is not a Token.

Black skin is not to be broken.

They tried to break us with whips and chains but the Good Lord has Spoken.

Police officers. They are doing their jobs. They’re doing the job they were taught to do, like in 1704, to patrol the enslaved African people they called negro, who they called boy. To keep them tamed as the white man would say, thinking the black man’s native home was a cage locked and hidden away.

Too many. One too many have died from police brutality, but also the systems that hold them as hostages. Living in America while black is like being in an abusive relationship. You are safe here they say, as they beat you and scar your face. So you try to get away. Leave then! They say. We never wanted you anyway! 

And we look at the generations of our family that was chained and forced to succumb to a world the white men dreamed, but they never were allowed to dream themselves. No matter how hard they screamed, it seemed there was no way out. Martin luther had a dream. I have a dream. We all have a dream. 

And the dream is this.

Police brutality, racial profiling, red lining, prison sentences for misdemeanors, lack of healthcare, food deserts, leaded water, segregated property taxed schools, racist politicians, black hair viewed as unprofessional, black skin labeled as thug, this ALL has to end. This is the dream. The dream is to walk free like we did before colonialism. Free like the Native American before the white sails washed upon Virginia's shores.  Where we can walk and not be murdered for the color of our skin. POC have endured hundreds of years of oppression, generational poverty, generational violence, generational homelessness because of the broken system that is America. 

When the crime on drugs has solid evidence against the police in black streets and they still kill us, how can we trust. And we cry out Lord forgive them they do not know what they do! Or do they? All you can do is pray they say, but here is my delay, when prayers not met with action...there will be no day, where our founding fathers are not seen as heroes. They’ll just be another white man who got away, with blood on his hands from my family the slaves. 

This country cannot continue to profit off of black and brown bodies, like they have been for hundreds of years. This ends now, I will not have my children protesting in the streets for their lives. This has to end now, and it will end because we demand it to. We are God’s chosen people. Jesus a man with darker skin than mine was called HOLY. Emmanuel. He was God and man, and looked like me, you and all of us. White, black or blue our skin should be called nothing but worthy. God made black skin, so godly it will be.

The culture of white supremacy does not fit the narrative of the America they say it is. So much of the world is black and brown. More of this world is like us, we have a place in this world whether they think we do or not. We have a place in this country because they made one for us when they brought us over. We built this country’s wealth and it is time we benefit from it. 

This is how we do it, we vote. We elect the people in office not only in our presidency but our mayors, our state representatives, our judges etc, we have to vote smart we cannot be lazy or more brothers and sisters  will die. Boycott the corporations that swim in wealth and underpay their black and brown employees while using prison slave labor, shout out to Wal-Mart. Stop celebrating the celebrities who continue to take advantage of black culture and exploit it but do nothing for the communities suffering from the racism they contribute to, shout out to the Kardashians. 

Racial violence, police violence, racism in general has to end. I remember being called nigger like it was my first name. I remember being called oreo, or hearing comments like you sound “white”. All of these things are perpetuated as backhanded racist compliments. Thinking I am ashamed of being black, calling me oreo like it should replace it? Telling me I’m not like other black girls referring to my lighter skin. I’m supposed to say thank you, I’m supposed to praise the respectful racism. Like a noose on a silver platter. Asking me what am I? And then not believing me when I say I’m black, because I’m too pretty to be black. 

All of these comments are toxic, abusive nonsense. We have to continue to prune out of conversations and remind people they are not allowed to say such things. 

As we fight for the laws to change let us continue to fight for the culture to change. This is not only for right now but for forever. We will not back down, we will not stop fighting for peace in our communities and in our souls. 

I was asked to tell my story, and this is it.

I remember when I was saved, really saved.

I was broken, abused, and tired. I had no hope left and I cried out in my bedroom “GOD THIS CANNOT BE IT. THERE HAS TO BE MORE.” And God heard me.

I was invited to church, and actually went. I heard the beautiful good gospel and surrendered my life to Jesus my one and only hope.

The good news was this. Jesus Christ OUR  Lord and Savior, came to this world as a baby boy and lived a perfect sinless life for 33 years. He was crucified and died on the cross, for the sins of this world, for the sins I have committed, for the sins you have committed. He resurrected from the grave triumphantly defeating death, so that we might find life in him, that we might find Salvation in him. By faith and faith alone, if we believe Jesus is our Lord and Savior we will be SAVED and granted Salvation. We will be saved from death and will be seated at the right hand of God our Father for eternity in heaven, and saved from the punishment we so deserve. 

So I ask all of you, believers or non believers. To learn the Jesus that I know, the Jesus that changed my life and has shaped and changed the world. To Love like Jesus Christ. As we fight in this movement, let us hate the sin in the man and not the man. Let us HATE the sin in the man but choose to LOVE the man.

When did love ever lose a battle.

Thank you.

K.R.

– I wrote this speech for a BLM rally I was unable to attend last minute, the rally was today June 26, 2020 in Detroit, MI. I think it is still important to share what I wanted to say, even if I am not speaking it in front of a crowd. Thank you..