Strangling the Neck of Freedom by Faith Smith

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background or his religion. People learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” -Nelson Mandela

On July 5th, 2016, Alton Sterling was gunned down by two white Baton Rouge police
officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was an innocent Black man standing on the corner
selling CDs, even being known as the “CD man.” The police were not put away in jail. On
February 26th, 2012, Trayvon Martin was killed by George Zimmerman, who claimed to had “felt threatened,” by Martin, who was unarmed. Zimmerman served a short sentence and was released from jail, when a murder sentence is at least ten years. Sandra Bland died in her jail cell and authorities claimed she “hung herself” in protest to her arrest. The list continues to go on and on with all our Black men and women being killed at the expense of a White man’s hands or the hands of authority. The repetitive excuse for these deaths is that the officers felt “threatened.” How can you be threatened by someone who is unarmed? How can you kill an innocent life just to kill? I feel like there is a mission going on, and that mission is to make the minority population become extinct. People celebrated Thanksgiving and paid their homage of thanks to their families, however what about all those who are locked away in prison? George Zimmerman killed a young high school boy and he only serve a short sentence and was quickly released from jail. However, Bernard Noble had to serve 13 years in prison over a marijuana charge. I think that this is a way to just keep minorities from ever prospering in this world like the rich White men and women are. They don’t want us to be on their level because, in my opinion, I feel they are afraid. The Black man and woman are so powerful. Our president of the United States before Donald Trump was President Barack Obama who served not one, but two terms in the White House. We have the power to run this world, and that makes a White man that is on the same
status fearful.

They are straining our necks of our freedom. We are human beings. We don’t deserve to
be treated as though we don’t belong here, because we do. We matter. Our lives matter just as much as the next person’s does. Just because we don’t share the same skin color as everyone else doesn’t mean we’re all not equal. We deserve to live the life we want, not get it taken away just because of how someone chooses to “feel.”

A letter to my girls

Dear Nasty Women,

I want to take international woman's day as an opportunity to thank you. Your art, ideas,and everything about you is amazing. I also want to share some things I know to be true about you so that you can read this if you ever need a reminder.  

Firstly,do you even know how cool you are? Right now you may think you are just 6 girls in your teacher's room after school writing, talking, and goofing around. But, you are so incredibly cool. You are sharing your thoughts with the world, and talking about things that matter. That is the coolest. Never listen to anyone who tells you differently. They do not know the magic of art, ideas, and girls who have fire in their souls to make this world more loving. 

There are two reasons why older people say that children are the future. 1. It is most literally true; generations will die and newer generations will replace them. 2. The youth are the only ones still imaginative enough to believe that changing the world is possible. Without your ideas there is no future (at least one worth living in). Never loose that youthful ambition, doing so will make you jaded and give you wrinkles.  I totally still believe changing the world is possible (that's why I have no wrinkles), and I know for a fact that each of you are going to create that change. People will call you a dreamer or naive, take it as a compliment and ignore them.

That might feel like pressure, and being brilliant and creative is a burden. However, never forget that by just being you, you are changing the world for the better every day.  As women society loves to put the weight of the world on our shoulders and when we fail, we feel like we failed everyone. You did not. Just by trying you are 100% better than the man who did not even attempt it. All the pressure can compress you and make you hard to the people and the system. Fight that pressure with love. After all, loving is the most rebellious act. The world is so afraid of what a woman could do with the power of genuine self-love  that it has tricked us into believing we aren't worth loving and that loving is a sign of weakness. Love yourself. Love others. Love who you please. Love this world and the people in it enough to protect what is sacred and fight for what is right. 

I think you are persistent, strong, smart, and everything I want my future daughter to be. I am proud to teach you, and honored to carry this world with you. 

With love,

Ms. Nicholson 

america.

This land was made for the straight white man. None other. It's based on hypocrisy, lies, and unfulfilled promises. Why set guidelines when people in power can not follow the constitution and or abuse it? Why create a constitution solely meant for one gender and race? It became an invitation reserved for the pale masculinity.

How can a country be referred to “the land of the free?” There are Muslims, Mexicans, Blacks, Natives, Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and  Transgenders who are in a constant state of fear. This land is only free to the ones who took it away. To those who committed genocide. And the ones who were victims are still in slaved. Stripped to our bare skin and walking through a fog. Fending for our lives.

How can there be a slogan that sums up that this country was great for EVERYONE. “Make America Great Again.” What time in America was ever great? The invasion among the Natives? Maybe when slaves were out picking cotton? When women were treated as lesser than a disabled dog on three limbs? Or when every colored human being would have to fight for everything that was taken away from them? Education, rights, and their own life. When an entire religion was/is being blamed for someone else's actions? All the way to the LGBTQ being denied access to marriage and dining in? So tell me what time is this slogan speaking of?

This land in which we call free and great is at the boiling point. This country is a paper with smudges filled with a variety of colors. And now comes the whiteout.
-Azúcar Mind

I Welcome you with Open Arms by Kaylia Walker

Welcome to my laboratory, where I keep my eldest secrets, a place that knows more about me then I know myself, welcome to the place that holds my self doubts and the place who remembers every single flaw apart of me, welcome to the place that holds my insecurities, the place that reminds me that even though I am in America, the land of the free me myself has limited freedom,  to the place where people words haunts me, the place that has no boundaries, welcome to the place that picks me apart inch by inch and show the raw form of me, the place that always lets me know that I am a female in the dark who's scared to really glow not because of what people questions, comments or concerns might be but simply because I am a female and supposedly, according to society I am not allowed to break from my strict role, welcome to my mind, where I can never forget, welcome to my cell where I can never escape, I welcome you with open arms to see where the hatred for my gender lives, I welcome you into my own personalized hell.

Sonnet by TaTyana Carter

What makes you a woman?

Don't answer I'll tell you.

We have real "value,"

To the ones we call the "man."

What makes you a woman?

When sometimes they fail you,

And they always seem to hurt you.

But you always lay your heart in their hands.

Waiting for something from them.

Awaiting the change

From the time you have given him.

But isn't it strange,

After all the time you've given him

He always stays the same.