vintagepen:

so today is trans day of visibility if you hadnt noticed, but i just wanted to shout out to all the trans cuties who arent posting pics. maybe cause theyre not feelin it or theyre scared or they just cant, but we know you peeps are there, youre amazing and we love you

tmisswhitney24:

Another name for black.
Poison.
The kind that pulses
Slowly through a body
And emerges through a bullet hole
Leaving a hell hole
Hell of a hole
And a
Whole hell
Of a lot
Of pain
Left instead
Of the wounded,
And dead.
Somebody’s baby’s
Body
Lying in a ditch
Somewhere.
Someone’s child
Is six feet below my feet
Somewhere
Rotting.

Another name for black.
Nigger.
The kind that broke their backs
Picking cotton
For our boys to be
Cotton picking
Shot in their backs.
Got more
Kill in their blood
Than survival in their gut.
Can’t kill
These babies fast enough,
Can they.
Killing the black
Out
Just cause we can’t
Just scrub the color
Out
Just cause we can’t
Just wash the curls
Out
Just loosened
The noose
Out
Just enough to breathe air
In easier
And out.
Still breathing heavy
In Earth bound Hell
Though.

Another name for black.
Strong.
Like the kind of strength
Beautiful brown skinned women have
To bare more
Scars than durable babies
But more faith than pain.
Got more
Vigor and love
And grace and God
In her bones,
Got more
Greens and Mac n cheese
And fried chicken
In her brown sugar flesh,
Got more
Home and heart
And wisdom and strength
In her voice,
Got more
Fire and fight
And beauty and zeal
In her soul;
And she shares it daily.

Another name for black.
Brave.
Like fought for my freedom
Brave,
Like breathed life into my future
Brave,
Like risked life for my freedom and future
Brave,
Like Malcolm and Martin
And Coretta and Rosa
Brave,
Like Nelson and Winnie
And Selma and Ferguson
Brave,
Like Oscar and Trayvon
And Mike, “Hands up”
Brave.
“Don’t shoot, “
Brave.
Got thick dark brown armor
Over these black bones.

My white friends
Try to tell me
Things like
“I don’t see black
And
I don’t see color
Honey
There’s only you and me”
And
To that, I respond
“Honey
My black color
Covers me
My black color
Comforts me
My black color
Is all of me
Ignorance doesn’t grant
Immunity
Your ignorance
Doesn’t make your eyes
Immune to me
Or my blackness.
There’s no alternative
To black.
I was born
In this skin. “