This issue's highly-emotive poem was inspired by the anti-racism protest which took place at the Forest Rec on Sunday 7 June...
We gather in our thousands
Spanning all walks of life:
A visual representation that this isn’t
Black vs White
Because we are united
And here to fight the same fight
Under one banner –
Black Lives Matter.
Pain can be felt in the roars of applause
Much needed hope can be heard in the cheers –
A communal sense of release
In the face of propagated fear
I lift my young daughter in the air
And remind her of why we’re here:
To protect the rights of your beautiful skin
And overcome fear of your inherent melanin.
For when we stand
We stand in strength
We stand in solidarity
We stand for real change
For real equality
We stand in compassion
We stand in validation
We stand for accurate education
Free of indoctrination
Because we are more than tokens
More than meeting diversity quotas
More than Black History Month
More than thugs with hoods
More than sports personalities
More than stereotyped actors
Black Lives don’t just matter –
They shape
They uplift
They enrich
They empower
They create
They motivate
They nurture
Black Lives inspire.
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