Does that badge make you blind to the pain that’s deeply bound
Embedded in our DNA from our ancestors, WE transgress the transgressors
They undressed the best dressers and deflowered our queens
The meaning of “we” is more than you and me
Blue is the color of our skin, and red is the blood
See how much blood you spill, and yet you still pull up
Scratch that, you honor that
You like that I’m Black because all your mistakes seem to get erased
So does my culture
Putting minds in shackles, telling us we can put time in capsules
Why can’t I live
Why won’t you let me breathe
It’s a lot things I wanna say
Like I’m free
Mentally and physically from your bondage
Like I’m free
Spiritually
All those lies I was taught don’t mean shit to me
Growing up wishing I knew who I was
Looking in a mirror at no reflection
They try to relate, but there’s no correlation
Stuck in poverty, now Malcolm tryna find out what Cory making
You see the situations you left me in
It’s fucked up
Ain’t no way around it
Let me breathe
Editor’s note: After the world rose up against the killing of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in the summer of 2020, and the rise and visibility of white supremacy extremists, several members of Impact Justice’s California Justice Leaders wrote personal blog posts to reflect on their experiences with the justice system and law enforcement. For the next month, we will publish these stories in partnership with Juvenile Justice Information Exchange.
