J. Cole – Free (Mike Brown Tribute)

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If you have ears and eyes then you know about all the police brutality that has plagued our communities. Mike Brown and Ferguson, Missouri being the most recent as well as most unbelievable. I have kept pretty quiet because with the frustration and hurt in my body I don’t know if any of the sentences I put together will help in any way. All I am going to say is injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Any crime, no matter the perpetrator, no matter the victim, no matter what community, is wrong. The senseless killing in Chicago is horrific. What happened to Mike Brown is also horrific but scares me more. I am a 29-year-old black man. I have been everywhere from Chicago to Honolulu to Italy. I have walked through hoods even served in the military. In the hood you pick up ways to stay out of danger and trouble. In the military you are trained how to first avoid situations and second how to deal with them, no matter how severe or dangerous. Why does Mike Brown scare me? How do I avoid making someone uncomfortable and scared of me when it’s my skin color they see as dangerous. Even if I do everything right.. Be careful of where I go, when I go there, who I am around, and how I act; I am still the enemy. I may still make someone that should protect and serve, shoot and ask questions later. This is heartbreaking because some people don’t see the severity of this problem. Heartbreaking because I look at my 6-month nephew and know one day we are going to have to teach him that the color of his skin is going to put him in danger. We are going to have to taint his innocence by trying to teach ways to avoid the dangers his skin color may bring. We are far from MLK’s dream but there is still hope. WE MUST WAKE UP!!!
With ALL that being said, check out J. Cole’s very emotional tribute inspired by the events in Ferguson Missouri and Mike Brown.

Rest in Peace to Michael Brown and to every young black man murdered in America, whether by the hands of white or black. I pray that one day the world will be filled with peace and rid of injustice. Only then will we all Be Free – Cole

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