Am I lost or just living in the moment?
There’s a difference I can’t see, but being different’s what I wanted
Am I wrong for staying quiet and not marching in streets?
Can I really make a difference just by moving my feet?
I mean, I can’t avoid the issues on my TV screen
But I feel I’ve become numb to the things that I’ve seen
How many black men have to take their last breath on an iPhone?
Would I feel different if it was somebody I’ve known?
Melanin has become the reason we can’t see our kids when they’re grown
Educated or a criminal, our worth is the same
It’s just a shame that you’ll never get to know me by name
Will my skin always define me?
Will you always remind me that I’m different than you?
Living life from the bottom is a difficult view
It’s hard to overcome where society placed us
And even harder to turn the other cheek and stay tough
Can you blame us?
The things we ask for are simple, but so out of reach
Since 1963 we’ve been holding on to a speech
We can’t turn to you to try and fix ourselves
We can’t ask you to fix the balance of wealth
I don’t ask for reparations, I just ask for aspirations
For my people to want more for themselves, don’t ever be complacent
And to the black kids growing up, it doesn’t matter what your race is
I just want our young boys to overcome the challenges he faces
And our young girls to aspire for greatness
And be proud of the skin and many blessings God gave us
I hope they know we’re no lesser than others, no matter how it may seem
I hope they find a passion in life and get to follow their dreams
I pray they live into their eighties and get to see their grand babies
That’s a prayer not easily answered when you look like me
I pray one day that my people also live in the land of the free
Free to walk on any street just to make your way home
Without a knee on your neck, having to die alone
Free to walk in a convenience store with a hood on your head
And that not be a reason why you end up dead
But with all that said, I still don’t have the answer for change
So the struggle continues and the problem remains
We’re not here asking for the world on a platter
We just want you to know that black lives matter
Credits:
Created with an image by Clay Banks - "Man holds up a Black Lives Matter flag (IG: @clay.banks)"