I CAN’T

 

I CAN’T UNDERSTAND

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How can you hate me just because of my skin? Then turn around and punish me because I can no longer pretend? I can’t pretend that times have changed. I can’t pretend that peace is a possible course of action. You see even with my hands up you gain no satisfaction. Ready to take our fathers over the slightest infractions. Turn them into hashtags and then call them the latest "Distraction".

I CAN’T BREATHE

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Were the last words from George Floyd as his face was pressed hard against the concrete. We watched him beg for you not to kill him as you crushed his neck with your knee. The cries from the crowd being for them just to simply check his heartbeat. We hadn’t even gotten the cries of Eric Garner out of our minds, yet history is on repeat. Man, being told police are here to protect and serve is the real deceit.

I CAN’T SLEEP

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Aiyanna Jones, Kathryn Johnson and Breonna Taylor never even knew their lives were in danger. Never imagined their lives would end at the hands of strangers, who were blinded by anger. I wonder when they prayed that night before they closed their eyes if they knew they'd never open them again. I wonder if they even heard your crooked asses sneak in.

I CAN’T WIN

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Even with my hands up I could end up like Mike Brown. Or like Oscar Grant with my hands behind my back and my face in the ground. You see I am a threat simply because of my skin tone. Which is the real reason Stephon Clark shouldn’t have used his cell phone. And why Korryn Gains had no right to defend her own home.

I CAN’T STAY HOME

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I wonder if Botham Jean knew ice cream would be his last meal. I wonder if he had a gun too and was the first one that drew killing a white cop in the wrong apartment would that be stand your ground too? Or what about Atatiana Jefferson you think she knew? You think she knew that the shadows dressed in blue were there to kill her too?

I CAN’T DRIVE

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In America, a broken taillight or random traffic stop has been a death sentence for so many, I've lost track. Sandra Bland, Philando Castille, William Green, Kwame Jones, Ryan Twyman all murdered for driving while black. So, we burned down a few buildings and suddenly WE'RE the animals that don’t know how to act?

I CAN’T HELP

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EJ Bradford Jr. and Jemel Roberson were true heroes who only wanted to save lives before being gunned down by the police, a black man can’t possibly be a hero, so no questions were asked before the bullets were released.  There's no closure for their families just a oops, our bad and some weak ass apologies.

I CAN’T UNDERSTAND

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How do you have a waist full of objects you're trained to use to subdue yet your gun is your first go to. Used to destroy kill and devalue. the lives of those darker than you. I CAN’T! I can’t continue to turn the other cheek as we are forced to watch modern day lynches of unarmed black GODs. You smile and hand out charges of manslaughter to pacify the masses but it is all a façade. When we kneel peacefully and say that isn’t enough you aren’t even shy about your blatant disregard.

The disregard for our lives, our families and our basic human rights. WE ARE NOT OUR ANCESTORS but just like them we won’t go down without a fight! We’ve seen people of a lighter shade destroy cities, flip cars and burn buildings behind a World Series game yet when ANOTHER black man is murdered by the police somehow, we are defamed for doing the same? What a shame!

I CAN’T!!!

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I can’t watch another not guilty verdict or hung jury can’t you tell this is only adding flames of our fury?! Hey Siri! Tell me how to prepare my black child for their interactions with the police because it’s blurry. Even when we comply it’s like death is still mandatory.

I CAN’T

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I can’t stop seeing the faces of Sean Bell, Johnathan Ferrell, Tamir Rice, Alton Sterling, John Crawford, Corey Jones, Clifford Glover and Sean Reed because its 2021 and I STILL CAN’T BE BLACK AND BREATHE