We live in a society where it is more disgraceful to kneel before a flag than to stand for racism.

Where the KKK is seen as a group of “fine people” with jobs. Families. Lives worth protecting.

And athletes taking a knee against hate are “sons of bitches” and must be fired.

Where the treatment of black people is seen as a fictional problem, narrated as a fantasy by people who haven’t experienced the struggle.

The struggle of not knowing if your child will make it through a protest demanding peace. Or a traffic stop. Or a lemonade stand.

The struggle of knowing that you are seen as less than innocent, pure, or a citizen.

The struggle of feeling like you’re unsafe in a country that preaches safety for its people.

We live in a country where the voices of the oppressed are silenced by the voices of the oppressors.

Where this is all seen as ok, and nothing will ever change.