The Fear Of A Black Man Poem by Colette Dright

How much more can we stand
To witness the killing of "Another Black Man? "
Walking with a friend, these two meet
Words were spoken, get the "F" out the street
Getting out of his car, taking this shh… a lil too far
Pulling out his gun, Mike Brown on the run
Hands up, don't shoot, Black Lives Matter
Shot down to the ground, see the blood splatter
Black Man on the ground lifeless and dead
"No Indictment" was the verdict they said

Over and over, again and again
Got this on video, but we know how it end
"Leave me alone, stop harassing me"
I'm minding my own business, can't you see
All of a sudden, Eric Garner was choked
"I can't breathe, " the last words he spoke

No justice, no peace, another brother deceased
Black Man on the ground lifeless and dead
"No Indictment" was the verdict they said

And now to the world, you gotta go tell
Unarmed Black Man killed in the stairwell

Can you believe, it wasn't even dark?
12 year old killed, shot dead in a park
Kid was riddled with bullets all in him
No questions asked, he was dead in a minute

Here we are in 2020, truly what the heck
Another Black Man can't breathe
Dead from a knee pressed in his neck

What's really going on? Another son not making it home
Another kid without his dad
The country's tired, fed up and mad

Saggy pants, dreads and even some tats
Make us suspicious and plus we're black
None of that defines just who we are
This shh… being taken wayyy too far

No matter what's the name, Eric Garner, Mike Brown
Any kind of Black Man is a target ‘round town
Stop killing our brothers, our husbands, our sons
Please, Please, Please… Stop shooting your guns

They say, "It's NOT about race"
Well if it's NOT about race, then it must be about fear

Yet who are we that they fear when they see
The color of a man, black, brown, caramel or tan?

And if it is about fear, then it must be "The Fear of a Black Man"
Because truth be told, it's NOT the same results

How many times do you hear of a shooting of a "white man"
Just because you "thought" he had a gun?
Or the unarmed white man shot 10 times in the back
just because he was running away?

It's not justice, it's not fair
It's not the same everywhere

Where did this fear come from?
Where did it begin?
Is it the power of the color of the skin?