Remember those who were disgusted enough to speak on the burning down of a store, but content enough to keep silent about the murder of a detained black man.

Remember those who remained silent about the lawlessness of 4 officers sworn to protect and serve, but spoke up against the angered response of those who have grown numb to this pepeptual injustice and lack of response to proper protests.

What gives me hope is that justice will be administered in the name of George Floyd, and hopefully it will for Ahmad Aubrey. What gives me pause is that justice wasn’t admistered in the name of Emmett Till, Rodney King, Trayvon Martin, Eric Gardner, Sandra Bland, and many others.

To be black in America is to be uniquely held to a higher standard in every facet in life. Knowing that no matter the level of education, creditionals, or accomplishments you possess, you are only what others perceive you to be.

To be black in America, your culture is to be suppressed in “professional settings” and to be exploited by others pop culture. People want to be subscribe to black culture but never want to walk 10 feet in a black person’s shoes.

To be black in America, you need to constantly answer why you need to be beneficiaries of systems and policies put in place to make up for the 400 years of suppression and exploitation of your direct bloodline.

To be black in America is to hope you make an impression good enough to grant you at least one more day alive, and to repeat it every day after.