Tethered Voices by Kalena Bovell, assistant conductor of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra
I'm tired of having to be brave
while walking in black skin
Tired of the anxiety I feel
every time my brother
leaves the house
Tired of code switching
and changing the tone
of my voice
to make them feel comfortable
sacrificing a sense of myself
in the process
Tired of being followed
in department stores
Of being told
that X is too expensive
and therefore I can't afford it
Tired of the senseless killings
of our young black men and women
TIRED
from all the tears
TIRED
of feeling hopeless
TIRED
that many years later
We are still judged
by the color of our skin
Rather than the content
of our character
I'M TIRED...
Of. Not. Being. Seen.
#BlackLivesMatter
#ICantBreathe
#iseeyou
