"Always stand up for what you believe in even if that means standing alone."

Over the past month, the people across our nation have been exercising their First Amendment right to express their grievances against police brutality towards minorities which over the past few years has grown at a rapid rate.

Each rally or protest is unique in its own way but still manages to shed light on the issues at hand in our society today.

After several days of being emotionally drained and verbally defending my beliefs it was time that I took action. I decided to attend the #AmINext? #4Unity Peace Assembly at Rosa Parks Circle in Grand Rapids, MI on July 16th.

In all honesty, I was a little bit apprehensive to attend at first especially after the Dallas shootings along with the other rouge events that occurred where people ended up being detained but regardless I knew this was something I had to do. It continued to open my eyes.

It was a beautiful 80 degree day at Rosa Parks Circle and it was slowly filling up with people. Music from all eras was echoing through the air. The Peace Assembly was initiated by four high school students who understand that it is time for a change. It was a beautifully laid out program.

I decided to create a sign to carry with me to help others understand what exact exactly I stood for. It was a Yin-Yang symbol inscribed with "Born Black. Raised White. We Are One." which I chose as a physical representation of me being transracially adopted into a predominately White family, but biologically being Black. The Yin-Yang symbol represents harmony and balance. Though parts of my family and I do not share the skin color or bloodlines we are still able to love one another for who they are. We see each others hearts and souls above all else. If we are able to do this, why cannot the rest of America or the World follow suit?

As I sat listening and recording attentively, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. It was a floating pink sign, or at least what I thought was a floating pink sign from afar. But as the sign drew nearer I could make out a little girl no more than 6 years old carrying a pink sign that she wrote out herself. On the front it read "Black People Matter, Love Amarya." On the back it read, "Kids For Equality." I had to stop for a moment and see what was unfolding before me. How is it that a child could see the atrocities of the world before a grown adult? Then it hit me, it was taught that we must "become as little children".

"A young child is destitute of ambition, pride, and haughtiness and is therefore a good example for us. Children are characteristically humble and teachable. They aren’t prone to pride or hypocrisy."

If four students in high school could lift their voice in times of peril, why cannot others? If little Amarya could lift her voice in times of peril, why cannot others? There was a moment during the Peace Assembly where we all stood up and raised our fists while a spoken word poem was read in the background. I looked around Rosa Parks Circle and saw people from all walks of life. Young and old, black and white, the able and disabled, heterosexuals and homosexuals. We were not all drawn together necessarily for the assembly itself but for the picture of unity it was painting.The fist represents unity of all, the essence that was evoked as we stood in solidarity; is the power that only Love exerts that can change the world.

So when the time is right, we must stand up, lift your voice, and raise a fist! We must pour out the energies from our hearts, because Love is the sword that conquers all!