A Country Divided

“The universe shrank when you went away.  Every time I thought your name, stars fell upon me.”

- Henry Dumas (poet, teacher, social activist) 

It is painful to think about the stories of black people unjustly killed in America, but it is even more painful to idly sit back and watch it continue to happen.  As we remember each person we lost too soon, it is our commitment to seek justice as well as keep their memory alive.  Today in America, we face the issue of institutionalized racism that has brought us to this point where black men, women, and children are being executed and the perpetrators face no consequences.  Day after day, we must continue to fight against inequality and injustice and keep making steps in the right direction.  We must remember the past and the present for all that it is -- the good, the bad, and the ugly.  It is our duty, as fellow humans, to protect our black brothers and sisters and never forget the individuals that did not make it to today.