ART_ERY Journal ART_ERY_Journal_17_final | Page 8

“BLACK PRIVILEGE” I get to draw upon my skin’s richness To produce something artistic To heal my soul, to uplift my heart To reach your soul, to teach your heart That stems from a culture That I demand more for Like Fred Douglas said It’s easier to build strong children than to repair broken men A product of black privilege You can find me, a future physician Proud to be black and showin’ the children That they can break the system That was created to fail them You can find me and my family Surviving for our ancestors, Fighting for our predecessors Staying true to our roots and leading self-care Standing up for injustice wherever we dare My dream is for us to foster human connection Meet each other halfway with love and affection But the reality is you are familiar with complacency It makes sense, because you are not the one facing inequality I wish you would just say something, anything at all. – Alyssa Gerth, OMS II 8