An Elegy:
#BlackLivesMatter
if my home is invaded and I am executed by a white police officer, and then the ‘police’ create some BS reason to make
me responsible for my death
— BE CLEAR, I have still been murdered by the police #BothamShemJean
if I die while in police custody
—KNOW I did not commit suicide #SandraBland
if I am killed while walking home with skittles and ice tea
—KNOW the sidewalk was not my weapon and I was still murdered #TrayvonMarin
if I am executed by the police, while sitting in my car attempting to hand the officer my ID, in front of my
fiancé and her four year old daughter
—KNOW I was still killed by the police #PhilandoCastille
if I am killed by the police while playing with a toy gun in the park
—KNOW I was still killed by the police #TamirRice
if I am murdered by the police, while sleeping on my couch, during a botched drug raid
—KNOW I was still murdered by the police #KathrynJohnston
if I am killed by the police with my hands up
—KNOW I am not a “demon” and was still murdered by the police #MichaelBrown
if I am murdered on New Year’s Morning, while complying
—KNOW I was still murdered by the police #OscarGrant
if I am executed in my home by the police, in front of my child, over an earlier traffic stop
—KNOW I was still murdered by the police #KorrynGaines
if I die, while in police custody after struggling to say, “I Can’t Breathe”
--#EricGarner
if I am killed by the police, in front of a convenience store and am accused of reaching for a gun
—KNOW I didn’t have a gun #AltonSterling
if I die in the hospital, SEVEN DAYS after Baltimore Police take me for a “rough ride”
—KNOW I did not break my own neck and spine #FreddieGrey
if I am snatched by a mob of white men from my uncle’s home in the middle of the night, then tortured,
mutilated and murdered because a white woman accuses me of whistling at her— and years later confesses that she LIED
—KNOW I AM STILL DEAD #EmmettTill[2]
…this ain’t even a complete list
#Justice4Botham
[1] https://twitter.com/FOX4/status/1040361795519541249
[2] This line inspired by my sister, Margaret Ann Smith.
if my home is invaded and I am executed by a white police officer, and then the ‘police’ create some BS reason to make
me responsible for my death
— BE CLEAR, I have still been murdered by the police #BothamShemJean
if I die while in police custody
—KNOW I did not commit suicide #SandraBland
if I am killed while walking home with skittles and ice tea
—KNOW the sidewalk was not my weapon and I was still murdered #TrayvonMarin
if I am executed by the police, while sitting in my car attempting to hand the officer my ID, in front of my
fiancé and her four year old daughter
—KNOW I was still killed by the police #PhilandoCastille
if I am killed by the police while playing with a toy gun in the park
—KNOW I was still killed by the police #TamirRice
if I am murdered by the police, while sleeping on my couch, during a botched drug raid
—KNOW I was still murdered by the police #KathrynJohnston
if I am killed by the police with my hands up
—KNOW I am not a “demon” and was still murdered by the police #MichaelBrown
if I am murdered on New Year’s Morning, while complying
—KNOW I was still murdered by the police #OscarGrant
if I am executed in my home by the police, in front of my child, over an earlier traffic stop
—KNOW I was still murdered by the police #KorrynGaines
if I die, while in police custody after struggling to say, “I Can’t Breathe”
--#EricGarner
if I am killed by the police, in front of a convenience store and am accused of reaching for a gun
—KNOW I didn’t have a gun #AltonSterling
if I die in the hospital, SEVEN DAYS after Baltimore Police take me for a “rough ride”
—KNOW I did not break my own neck and spine #FreddieGrey
if I am snatched by a mob of white men from my uncle’s home in the middle of the night, then tortured,
mutilated and murdered because a white woman accuses me of whistling at her— and years later confesses that she LIED
—KNOW I AM STILL DEAD #EmmettTill[2]
…this ain’t even a complete list
#Justice4Botham
[1] https://twitter.com/FOX4/status/1040361795519541249
[2] This line inspired by my sister, Margaret Ann Smith.