Unspoken Conversations

Aderbal. Brendy. Carlos. Will
UNSPOKEN
CONVERSATIONS

FOREWORD
THE PURSUIT OF RACIAL EQUALITY
THE INTERNATIONAL ACTIVIST MOVEMENT, BLACK LIVES MATTER, HAS
BECOME A PLATFORM OF FREE SPEECH DEDICATED TO THE PROMOTION
OF EQUALITY AND THE PROTESTING OF UNJUST PRACTICES IN THE
AMERICAN JUSTICE SYSTEM TOWARDS BLACK MEMBERS OF THE
AMERICAN CITIZENRY. THE BLM MOVEMENT WE KNOW TODAY IS A
DIRECT RESULT OF THE RACIALLY DRIVEN FATAL SHOOTING OF YOUNG
AFRICAN AMERICAN TEENAGER, TRAYVON MARTIN, AND THE VARIOUS
NATIONAL ANTHEM PROTESTS BEFORE NFL GAMES, ENGENDERED BY
COLIN KAEPERNICK, SERVE TO CALL TO ATTENTION THE MANY RACIST
CRIMES THAT OCCUR DAILY IN AMERICA.
HOWEVER, SUCH ACTIONS ARE NOT UNIQUE TO THE 21ST CENTURY.
IN 1968, TWO AMERICAN OLYMPIC SPRINTERS, TOMMIE SMITH AND
JOHN CARLOS, RAISED THEIR BLACK-GLOVED HANDS DURING THE
NATIONAL ANTHEM IN SILENT PROTEST DURING THEIR AWARD
CEREMONY FOR THEIR SUCCESS IN THE 200M RACE.
FOUR YEARS LATER, DURING THE OLYMPIC GAMES IN MUNICH, TWO
AMERICAN SPRINTERS, WAYNE COLLET AND VINCE MATTHEWS,
CONVERSED CASUALLY DURING THE ANTHEM IN PROTEST. BECAUSE OF
THIS, THEY WERE REMOVED FROM THE GAMES AND BANNED FROM
EVER PARTICIPATING IN ANOTHER OLYMPIC EVENT.
TODAY, THEIR MESSAGE IS CARRIED ON THROUGH THE KNEELING OF
FOOTBALL PLAYERS AND THE PROTESTS OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY
AND THEIR SUPPORTERS, BUT BECAUSE OF THE ACTIONS AND DISPLAYS
OF A MINORITY OF THE BLM PROTESTORS, NEWS OUTLETS AND
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HAVE FED THEIR VIEWERS THE IDEA THAT
THESE MARCHES ARE FUELED BY HATRED AND RACISM, FURTHER
POLITICIZING AND POLARIZING THE AMERICAN CITIZENRY ON THE
TOPICS OF RACE AND EQUALITY.

UNDER GOD
HE LOVES FOOTBALL.
GOD:
HE LOVES AMERICA.
GOD:
MY GOD. HE LOVES ME.

S U N D A Y S
Y O U J U S T G O T T A R U I N M Y S U N D A Y S .
W A K E U P . L O O K A R O U N D .
T H I S C O U N T R Y ’ S W H A T ’ S K E P T Y O U
A R O U N D :
S U S T A I N E D , C O N T E N T , L I V I N G I N
F R E E D O M .
T H I N G S T H A T Y O U H E A T H E N S
D O N ’ T D E S E R V E .
O R U N D E R S T A N D .
T R Y I N G T O R E B E L W H E N Y O U D O N ’ T
S T A N D .
T R Y I N G T O P R O T E S T W H A T P R O T E C T S
Y O U A N D A L L Y O U R K I N D .
T R Y I N G T O F I N D I S S U E S T H A T Y O U D O N ’ T
F I N D
H E R E O R A N Y W H E R E . Y O U ’ R E N O T
I M P A I R E D ,
Y O U ’ R E J U S T P L A Y I N G S C A R E D .
A L L Y O U G O T T A D O I S F O L L O W O R D E R S ,
B E Q U I E T A N D D O N ’ T G E T O U T O F O R D E R
B E Q U I E T A N D S A T I S F I E D W I T H W H A T
Y O U ’ V E G O T .
B E S A T I S F I E D Y O U A I N ’ T G E T T I N G S H O T .
B E S A T I S F I E D W E ' R E A L L E Q U A L S .
B U T N O , Y O U ’ V E G O T T A R U I N M Y
S U N D A Y S .

ON COMMAND
YET HERE I REMAIN SHEATHED AND PROUD
READY TO DEFEND OUR MAN IF GIVEN THE COMMAND.
WHEN USED CLICK-BANG I CAN BE LOUD.
NIGHT AFTER NIGHT WITH THIS OMINOUS CLOUD.
STRAPPED TO ZIMMERMAN’S BAND
YET HERE I REMAIN SHEATHED AND PROUD.
HOWEVER, TONIGHT I AM UNLEASHED, DISEMBOWELED.
BEFORE ME IS A DARK, YOUNG, BLACK MAN EYEING MY PATRON‘S UNSTEADY
HANDS.
WHEN USED CLICK-BANG I CAN BE LOUD.
WHY IS HE BEING TARGETED? IS THIS EVEN ALLOWED?
I CAN FEEL ZIMMERMAN’S HATRED SEEPING THROUGH HIS GLANDS.
YET HERE I REMAIN SHEATHED AND PROUD.
DON’T SHOOT! PLEASE DON’T SHOOT!, THE BOY SAYS ALOUD
HIS PLEA FRACTURES MY FRONT SIGHT AS THE BARREL TURNS, BULLET
LANDING ON HIS HEART AS PLANNED.
WHEN USED CLICK-BANG I CAN BE LOUD.
DISTRAUGHT AND BEWILDERED, THIS WAS NOT WHAT WE VOWED,
TO STRIP A BOY’S LIFE MOTIONLESS, USING MY FIRE BAND.
YET HERE I REMAIN SHEATHED AND PROUD.
WHEN USED CLICK-BANG I CAN BE LOUD.

What gives them the right to disrespect our nation?
Appreciate your country and forget this so-called separation
Since '76 our troops have kept us protected
Now you disrespect them and expect to not be rejected?
You have the right to protest but it should be with a hand across the
breast
Mistakes were made and shame has been bestowed
But all your violence, anger, your true colors have showed
You advocate for peace but are putting others at risk
Hate towards police and the law, creating more problems we have to fix
No need for outrage and disarray,
this will be solved by the ones with a badge upon their breast
Cannot see what all the vicious outrage is about
when there is violence on both ends yet only 1 lashes out
All Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter, gather round the jukebox
then let’s turn to the TV and listen to the facts on FOX
Let us grasp, there is no divide and we’ll stand together as Americans,
so we can put this to rest

Be Not Alone
Don’t stand for what you don’t believe in
Don’t believe in what you don’t stand for
They treat you like you should know what’s in store
Don’t send that fear to your next of kin
No need to stand to make a stand
Sometimes it’s more real if you kneel
Put your fist up and believe
Protest, don’t be the next to grieve
You’d think your actions would be supported
In the Land of the Free
Don’t be scared of opposition
It is not I but We
Take my hand
Join Me be
Not alone
Take a knee

Make Amends
Neither slavery nor blind servitude
No respect, made to madly get behind
A split built in a societal feud
We, depressed and oppressed, slaves to the
mind
...nor shall deprive person of liberty
It’s hard to be free when you’re second class
Living in constant fear, echoed history
Only safety found within stained glass
...make no law abridging freedom of speech
Inspire change, say the words, make your voice
heard
Black Lives Matter, reform isn’t out of reach
Protest, kneel, stand, preach, let the pot be
stirred
Demand Equality, no taking breaks
We’ll kneel in our graves if that’s what it takes

for the dimming light
Grasping
man’s resistance to be denied his rights
A
officers get away with foul play, while our
Repeatedly,
government continues to look the other way
National
was no saint, he made mistakes like everybody, but
Eric
him of his right to breathe is truly terrifying.
Robbing
GARNER

UNDER
NOTHING
WHAT GOD? THAT’S NOT MINE
NOT THE GOD THAT YOU SPEAK OF
YOUR GOD'S NOT THE SAME

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