Black lives matter today
Black lives have always mattered
Black lives will forever matter
I say this intentionally as a fact
Not as a belief
The matter is not up for debate
Black lives matter
And as a white man
my saying it does not make it so
This truth has always existed
in spite of myself
and my ancestors
Black lives matter
I say this distinctly
It is my responsibility to do so
Throughout history,
White men have granted rights to others
only after taking them first
Giving something taken is not progress
It is incremental
systematic
oppression
It has never been mine or anyone’s to give
It was never ours to take away
Equality should never be subject to force
Whether with a loaded gun
Or a loaded deck
Black lives matter
I say this out loud now
And as the lens through which I view the world
Glasses are required for seeing through
what is already written
To see truth through myriad filters
Meant to disguise
equivocate
suppress
and deny
As a white man, I have no right
to passively enjoy
that which was never mine
I do have a responsibility to stand for others
and truth
as an action
Standing in a way that acknowledges
the power of a black life
and all people of color
Distinctly different from pretending it matters
any more or less
because of my opinion
In my bubble
Watching the world burn
from the safety of my perch
The time for right aim is over
The time for right action is now
Black lives matter today
Black lives have always mattered
Black lives will forever matter
I say this intentionally as a fact
Not as a belief
The matter is not up for debate