It’s hard to remind black people
That their lives matter
So when it comes to each other
They engage in self hate
Expressed outwardly as violence
Because our world has not created
A reality where black is not a weaponized concept
Our consciousness is conditioned
To perpetuate the hate against ourselves
That has been acted out against us
And so we lash out at the mirror
Which results in drug abuse
And gun violence
That only makes the world say, “see?”
But they don’t see
Because they’ve all been complicit
In our self destruction
Gentrification, redlining, gerrymandering
Disproportionate education, funding, healthcare, job opportunities, imprisonment
Oh and the media images of our aggression
Which only teach fear
I can actively protest my immediate oppressors onslaught
While I lose sight of the oppressor above them-
Pulling both our strings
Black lives matter
But I don’t feel I matter
…and I’m black
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