In Memory of Emmett Till
My mind cannot erase the memory of Emmett Till
I often dream about his badly-mutilated body –
The fourteen-year-old Black lad mercilessly beaten
To death … for ostensibly flirting with a white woman.
A victim of the era in which he lived, he was lynched,
But the men who killed him were found “Not Guilty.”
Have we any reason to wonder why Blacks are angry?
The number of cases of Blacks murdered by police
During routine traffic stops, for no reason, astounds,
There is a twisted reason why our prisons are teeming
With young Black men and women, while they are
Only a small minority of the general population --
Prejudice and racism are rampant, indeed systemic,
In America, touted as the land of freedom and justice.
written March 1, 2022
Copyright © L Milton Hankins | Year Posted 2022
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