First and foremost, I am a human being
Not a monster of different color skin
Not an inferior organism unworthy of
fair treatment
Not a material product to be used to
serve your greed
First and foremost, I am a man of faith
Not a Muslim terrorist
Not a heathen, unworthy of God’s love
Not a man lost in the troubles of the world
First and Foremost, I am a lover
Not a women lover
Not a man lover
But a lover... Period!
And First and foremost, I am a kid
One that has grown through the ages, just like you
One that has learned from culture and society, just like you
One that has craved snack during halftime of a basketball game,
just like you
And One that deserved fair judgment from a fellow human being,
just like you
But because you couldn’t see past the color of my skin
Because you couldn’t see past he the preference of my love
Because you couldn’t see past the name of the God I worship
You let the hoodie on my back describe who I am
Neglected my right as a human being
And denied my right to live
And until you are able to see past the exterior of my “hoodie”,
You will never see me as a human being...
-Jordan Hamilton, Baldwin-Wallace College
*This poem is dedicated to Trayvon Martin and anybody that has suffered from the injustice of discrimination.
