ARNELLE

I am from K-Town

From double dutch and black outs

I am from fresh breath of air

I am from oxygen

I’m from Glenn and Sabrina

From Sunday funday at the movies

And from free spirited and tough love

I’m from crybaby

And from being spoiled brat

I’m from open minded and loving

I’m from The Chi

Jordan, since you asked, I’ll tell you why I’m so wounded

Because you left without saying goodbye

Because you left me without warning

Because I have to live this life without you

Because I had to grieve and can’t get over it

Because some days are perfect and some days aren’t

Because I don’t understand why this happened

Because how do I get over this tragedy?

Because can I learn to forgive the person who did it?

Because I need to let the anger go

Because being angry doesn’t bring you back

Because I want to say I love you one last time

Because I know you aren’t coming back

Knowing me and you never see eye to eye

Literally like arguing with myself

We have the same face and same attitude

Never want to admit who is wrong and who is right

My daddy always say y 'all going to go crazy if something happen to one of y ’all

Never understanding why you don’t get it

Hurting my feelings and never saying sorry for it

Wondering why you are so mean and complicated

Why can we never agree on anything?

Why are you so set in your ways?

Will you ever change for me?

The fact me and you are two different people

Just because we look alike we aren’t the same person

Wish my granddaddy was here to help me understand you better

You always say he made you this way

Wish I could understand why you are so mean

I wish I could change the way you view the world

I wonder if we could ever be on the same page

I wish you could understand who I am

I wish that you wouldn’t try to change me

Accept me for who I am

Understand we are different for a reason

Yes you birth me, but I will never be you

I am my own woman

Hopefully one day you will accept that

I’m going to challenge myself

To explore new things that I couldn’t imagine

I want to give myself a chance to see something new

I want to be able to live my life to the fullest

I want to receive my degree and keep making change

I want to be a mentor for kids

I want to see black on black crime stop

I want our generation to come together

I’m going to try make change in my community

I want us to come together

I want us to change for the better

For the generations coming up

We need peace and love

DEALING HOPE WHERE MY FEET GO. bianca

I am from the low end.

From my mother’s womb and my father’s seed.

I am from 13 stories of brown, red and orange brick.

I am from the waves and oceanic blue of the lakefront, surrounded by large rocks and broken ones.

I’m from spades slamming on the cards table and oldies blasting in the air.

From rock, paper, scissors, And from walking to the corner store getting dills pickles and lemonheads with my cousins.

I’m from strength, power, and dignity, And from brown skin, hair grease and spaghetti and fish on Fridays.

I’m from ruffled lace socks, brightly colored dresses and church pews.

From bbqs, summer gatherings and piggy.

From Bubba and Clemmy.

I am from steadiness, might and potency.

Nobody, since you asked, I’ll tell you why I was so grieved. Because she was a teen.

Because she was a teen born with medical needs.

Because I was the older cousin.

Because we shared laughs, stories and secrets.

Because she was hurt.

Because she was hurt by what she couldn’t control.

Because medicine was keeping her body regulated but not her mind and soul.

Because I didn’t understand what it meant to watch her journey. Because I am here.

Because she was struggling.

Because her body grew tired.

Because my tears were my silent prayers.

Because she took her last breath after the words of “there is nothing else we can do”

Because I went to college.

Because she was buried six feet under.

Because she…

Because I live on…

To the traveling lump, seeking a home of permanency

From one generation to the next you appear as a mass in the breast, cervix, lungs or any other place in my people.

From one generation to the next the big “ c ’ is seeking to be a cousin.

From one generation to the next we bury our people, loved ones, and friends because big “ c ” is seeking to be a cousin.

From one generation to the next we stressin’, smokin’, seeking to make it and big “ c ” come knockin’.

From one generation to the next we wonder if another will run into big “ c ” .

From one generation to the next we trying to turn big “ c ” into that long lost cousin nobody talks about.

From one generation to the next we will the big “ c ” poisons blood with no cure but preventative measures and more toxins to kill big “ c ” .

From one generation to the next we share stories, looking at pictures of those who passed on, who lost significant weight, lost hair, lost energy because the big “ c ” seeks to choke us out.

From one generation to the next the big “ c ” hands the next of kin a bill and sometimes a death certificate and sometimes memories that no one can erase.

From one generation to the next the big “ c ” causes anxiety and leaves us wondering what would life be like without it ever being present any way.

If my feet were wings,

I would land them on every African nation I can before I take my last breath…

To see every wonder that Africa has birthed to the world.

To see every hue that exists…

To touch every texture that exists…

Including laying my eyes on the pyramids built from the ground up.

If my feet were wings,

I would stand at the door of no return seeking to return and tell of all that I’ve experienced.

And bring the healing from the land back to those who also wish their feet were wings.

Building relationships across the continent and melanated people in America, may hearts be healed and love flow with ease.

MAKE IT BETTER FOR THE NEXT.

Christina

I am from Brainerd, which nobody’s heard of unless they took the Metra

With its bungalows, two flats, apartments and the snowball man Occasional gunshots and basketball games in the yard and the alley

During #Summertimechi, Black families post “Congratulations graduate!” signs in their yards and have elaborate prom send-offs

Indiana fireworks on Juneteenth, the 4th of July and all summer long

Where Fort Dearborn stands, the school named after the place where soldiers stayed and fought to remove the Indigenous groups off their land

I am from a view of the sun and moon and a trickle of still and blinking stars

Fresh cut grass and brown grass and grass too long, my mother’s garden

I’m from Judy and Eli

From Mom cooking and Dad doing the laundry And from stubborn opinionated people

I’m from “Act like a young lady”

And from “don’t let me have to get my belt”