The American Dream is an age-old concept that all Americans have equal opportunity to become successful. But the ideal tends to look past the racial disparities that have always plagued our nation for centuries and continue today. For some Black people, reality seems more like the American Nightmare.

We all know of the American Dream,
but what about the American Nightmare?
You must have because you livin’ in it.

You pledge allegiance to
a red, white, and blue flag
that stands under God indivisible,
with liberty and justice for who?

For who?

Turn on the TV and find black bodies
being slammed to the concrete by
your flag’s blue.

Immigrant families, who came to this
country to give their children better
opportunities,
being ripped apart at the border, forcefully,
by your flag’s white President.

Children and young adults,
one-by-one, classroom to classroom,
concert to concert, club to club,
being shot day by day to fill your flag’s red.

Tell me, can you call this
the American Dream?

There is no such thing.

Please don’t try to praise the society
that beats us down until we’re black and blue.

Please don’t try to debate that these families
didn’t come from this country because
who ever really did?

Please don’t try to cover these shootings
as “accidents”
at the hands of a white man who had
“mental illness.”

This ain’t a joke.

We are living in a time of hate.
A time of racism, sexism, socialism
and more.

You can’t deny the country falling apart
right in front of your eyes.
But that’s the norm.
The norm of white Amerikkka.

Cops.
Continue to abuse your power for whatever
bias you have against this country’s black.

Leaders.
Continue to keep pushing away stricter
gun-laws, allowing sick-minded people
to buy automatic weapons, legally,
so there can be another “accident.”

President.
Continue to strip these children away
from their parents
at a wall that creates division.

Do whatever pleases you.
I can’t do much anyway,
unless I want to become another statistic.

Wake up from this American nightmare,
it’s time for change.

 

words_jayden degrace. illustration&design_avani choudhary.

This article was published in Distraction’s Fall 2020 print issue.

 

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