Illustration by Sacrée Frangine
By: Nia Satterfield Brown
It seems like everything that already happened is happening again.
The circumstances we are forced to be in.
The probability of death? High
Is there a solution? Not the concern.
Living under a life of constant struggle.
“We’re not to blame”
Or so they claim.
Poor Black neighborhoods
More pollution, lead and violence
Black Individuals
More underlying health conditions
Black People
More bias and inadequate health care services
Not enough?
Lawyer, CEO, Finance, Surgeon
Versus
Caregiver, cashier, sanitation, laborer, public transit
They were exposed then
We are exposed now
I feel like Parks in this way
The black experience through a shared lens
America what is the reason?
Why are my brothers and sisters more prone to sickness than any other group?
Why are you not doing anything about it?
It’s time to stand trial.
Don’t stand blind.
Think about your ways, think about our suffering
Hold our lives to the same standard you do
This would not have happened, if equality was recognized years ago
Equal opportunities, equal access
Less violence
“It’s not that simple”
Isn’t it?
Someone on my track team
People in my overcrowded and underfunded building complex
My first cousin
All individuals who fell victim to covid-19
But no they did not ask to be put in these vulnerable positions
Nor did any of the other African-Americans who were put here
I stand here. Feeling: hopeless
Our communities lack resources properly combat these types of monsters
Thus, we fall quicker
Is it too far-fetched to think if we’d achieved equity earlier many of us would still be alive today?
No.
Because it’s truth
It might be invisible to most
But it is there… lingering
Like covid in the air… ready to attack and infect the next individual
“An easy catch” covid murmured
“This will be a quick one, already has health issues”
We are the neglected
Punished for the color of our skin, subject to die more quickly
Fear of the healthcare system
It’s easier to die then to continue this cycle of pain
The legacy of growing up, Poor and Black, in this country
America, would you please take the stand.
Please contribute to this issue, we need to hear your voices. EVERYONE can make a submission regardless of your gender, race, or nationality!
Remember to be silent is to be complicit! Please use your platforms and your voices!
#BlackLivesMatter
To contribute please email: kaleidoscopeteenmagazine@gmail.com
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