I do not deserve to be solely labeled as one of the Blacks
I am not an African American anyone can possess as his or hers to display as a misconstrued token of good faith again and again
My presence is not synonymous with the inner city
I will not be determined as the product, cause, or image of bad things
I am not lazy
I am not violent
I am not more likely to commit a crime
I am not successful because of affirmative action
I am not blind to the racial dynamics of this country
The ignorance
The resentment
The systematic inequality
I am not attaching my birth certificate
To prove that I belong in America
I have a lot to lose
Because
My life matters
I still believe in the dream in which one day I will be judged by the content of my character rather than the color of my skin