I MATTER

 

The words they say?

The looks they give?

Those little things matter

 

Overlooked communities?

The racial remarks?

Those little things matter

 

Low funding for schools

Poor education

Yet they expect us to succeed

To be “grateful” for what we have

 

Race…

A social construct

A word created 

To make one group of people feel superior

And the others inferior

Judgements are made

based on the pigmentation of the skin

An uncontrollable factor

 

When we stand up for justice

We are told to quiet down

Made to be just “noise”

Seen as “ghetto”

The white picket fences

The walls with graffiti on them

Like two different worlds

All in the same universe

 

They see us as a weapon

As an object 

One they try to keep under control

To feel empowered

 

Yet still,

The fight for equality must continue

Till they realize

That

I MATTER…

 

By: Chimezirim Opara