DON'T FORGET ABOUT US

As you lay me down to sleep I pray you Lord My soul to keep And if I die before I wake And if I die I wonder if she said her prayers that night I wonder who was the last person she called Were her and mama on good terms Did she and her friends Have next day plans Before they closed their eyes And they said their good nights Did she and her boyfriend Make love one last time Was she looking forward To tomorrow Only for tomorrow To never come Eight bullets They placed inside her body With no regard For police policy They broke into her home Like thieves in the night And then spun their villainy In a way That made her look guilty And here we are 5 months later And I just saw picture Of one of Breonna's killers Living his best life On the beach With his privileged daughters Don't forget about us Before there was Breonna We had Sandra Bland 5 years ago Pulled over For a failing to signal Infraction How easily These blue uniformed monsters Labeled This BLM Activist Suicidal A verdict That is normalized For Black people As our struggles Deemed so overwhelming That We must be crazy Enough To take our own lives While in police custody Don't forget about us Not just To highlight My black sisters As my brown friends Are also common victims Vanessa Guillen Fought for this country And homeland But died Not by the hands of war But by a man She considered comrade And for the military To mishandle Yet another case Of sexual harassment Is just like these cops Who live above Their own laws I'm still waiting For the outcry For these women Just as loud As they are the black man Who will cry for the little boy Is often The question And I say Hi Everyone The world In outrage Riots And we demand protests Are all birthed After the murders Of Black men But my sisters Often seen as an afterthought We Are not only fighting Black and Blue SWAT teams White supremacy Bigotry And brainwashed ideology But also our brothers Our Uncles Our fathers Best friends and cousins Where are the black men Who wrap us in protection You Look like me You are my kin Yet my dark skinned Sista Can be thrown in the garbage Toyin Salau Can be assaulted And then murdered By a Brother That she would've advocated His life matters Or that A grown man Can yank off my panties and pants Without permission We are no one's property Where is the accountability This Culture Of rape Murder And bullying Is like the Corona disease It has existed Way longer than we think And is covered up By masked individuals Who are meant To serve and protect Where's our covering Atatiana Jefferson Murdered in Fort Worth Texas Rekia Boyd Killed by an off duty detective Dante Servin 19 yr old Renisha McBride Murdered In Dearborn Heights Korryn Gaines While holding her son SWAT team killed her For a traffic violation Kira Johnson Amber Issac Sha-Asia Washington All died From medical negligence Need I go on Sexual violence Daily bias Institutionalized Gendered racism Black women Always at the forefront Leading the protests Being the catalyst Not only Giving life But saving them Forgiving Courageous And strength unmatched Carrying the whole world On our backs As well as In our bellies I Demand You care about me Because without me There'd be no you So look at my face And remember it Cause God forbid I don't wanna be Just another hashtag Don't forget about us