The weight of the world sat squarely on his back, pushing life free from his lungs with every passing second. Yet, even as he felt death's embrace, he showed them respect and kindness. He thanked them for their service and they squeezed the life out of him. That boy's name was Elijah McClain, and the Aurora Police Department murdered him. I learned about his death last year, but he had already been dead a year by then. As I stared at his face on my screen, all I could think was what if that were my son? When my son was born we planned on moving to Colorado, but the plan always got sidetracked. One minute we don't have enough money, the next the military called and then doctors diagnosed my son with Autism and we decided Colorado, the haven we dreamed about, was going to have to wait. What if it didn't? What if we moved when my son was born? We got a delightful house with a backyard where he and I would build a treehouse. I could watch him play and laugh from the window. Listen to him live his life to the fullest. Let's say we took the leap and ran from the racism that is the south for the beauty of the mountains. He would feel safe and we would feel safe. Then one night he'll walk to the store to get something to drink. A neighbor will call the cops because he's a young Black man at night. What if we went, and he lived his life to the fullest only for me to bury him? My son can't speak, he wouldn't be able to calm the police like Elijah. My son panics easily. He wouldn't have been able to understand the events like Elijah. It would terrify my son, like it did Elijah. He wouldn't have made it home like Elijah. What if I moved to feel safe? Only to find out there is no safety for people of my skin tone, wouldn't that be a terrible thing? So, I sit in the racist south. I hold my family close and I wonder what if that were my son?

They got us black folks dying When us black folks trying Cop put a gun up to his head Now us black folks crying Then they sitting around wonder Why us black folks riot Saying a nigga had a gun You know us niggas ain't buy it I ain't lying This stressing on my chest made me defiant Now they want me to believe all lives matter But the black man tried to climb the ladder Then they shot him down on a silver platter All it do is make us madder Make them mothers even sadder And the worst part we got our hands up Screaming please don't shoot And they mad cause the black man don't wanna stand and salute Salute to what? A country that never gave a fuck Now we got a president that rather see more niggas in the morgue Man never mind, If you don't see the racism you color blind Stevie Wonder can see through this shit it's televised They tellin lies I seen this before with Rosa Parks in 55 Only difference is nah there's no difference we still dying But none the less I'm still out there with picket signs and I protest Meanwhile hate running through my chest And these white folks still want to put my patience to the test And all I wanna do is take a gun and rip bullets in they chest But I can't because God told me keep my head up and stay blessed Now another brother dies and the son that a mother has to lay to rest And the media tells me black people need to just hope for the best And something I forgot to mention 3 years ago the media said only uneducated women voted for Mrs. Clinton So what you tryna say I'm a black woman with no intentions A black woman with no intuitions A black woman that's too indifferent But if I say something to ignorant You might think it's to belligerent But really you wouldn't comprehend it Cause America to rich to wanna listen And I get it If I was white and rich I wouldn't give a damn about no black folks business But I'm Black and this my business To go out and make a difference I'm young black and educated 28 and got a business But for you that ain't okay So is it to ignorant for me to say the only people that voted for Donald J is Mrs. K Mr. K and little K that's a whole family of KKK all they do is want to slay another black man into his grave So we have to stay awake and just pray for a better day I mean we tried to change the world Maybe we should just try and save our state I mean vote for a better chief that would put police into they place I'm just waiting for that day I'm in front of Heavens gate And I get to ask God What happened back on November 8th? And he get to tell me America to scared to wanna grow We put money over respect And we forgot about our goals We forgot black people and white people we fighting as a whole Our skin may be different but what's same is our soul The blood running through our veins is the same as the rose And where we go after death good god heaven knows So we better make friends cause he ain't gone open up his door to that white power bull and no racist ass foes In my eyes we all the same But to you we at the bottom of the chain You rather call us out our name then to look at us the same You wanna take away our rights, and see our ankles wrapped in chains Even though I'm fighting for equality if you call me a nigger I swear that would be the day I'm starting to see change, or all this racism got me going insane because H&M went and thought blacks and monkeys were the same Now Gucci and Prada got a black face with a nigga name And Joy Villa thinks wearing a build a wall dress will make America great again The only great that I see is SEGREGATED Because you have whites on one side and a wall stopping the Mexicans So how can we open up our hearts when American doesn't want to let us in The way I see it, we need to learn how to love before America is great again!