Chocolate Armor

I was born with armor the shade of chocolate

I was born with skin that makes first impressions for me

I was born in a body whose brothers and sisters

Are the nails to the hammers of racists

But the color of my skin is not a weakness

The color of my skin only makes the voice of my soul

Louder and Stronger

Those who disrespect my people will hear the scream

Of those who came before me

Those who come after

And those who stand with me

Being black in America does not make me weak

It does not make me a symbol of humiliation

It makes me a warrior in a world

That has made my people fight for their lives

For hundreds of years

The Black Lives Matter Movement started as soon as slavery ended

The Black Lives Matter Movement began in bondage

But it will not end in silence

Until my black brothers and sisters feel safe enough

To go to a gas station to buy candy and a drink

To reach for their car registration

To let their kids play with BB Guns

Without worrying an ignorant cop will shoot their child

My job is to be the voice for those who have been silenced,  do not tell me to be quiet.