By O. Deng, TIWP Student

The truth they will not want to hear is
it might not be true,
even if everyone around you is saying it is.
The truth they don’t want to accept is
if most of us continue to sit back,
nothing will change. 
The truth that everyone ignores is
looking the other way when someone is being oppressed
does not mean it isn’t happening
or that it won’t happen to you. 
Who do you think they will target next? 
The truth they will not want to hear is
you aren’t safe because you’re a certain race.
You aren’t safe because you earn hundreds of thousands a year.
You aren’t safe because you are a law-abiding citizen.
The truth that cowards fear is that
becoming enforcement won’t save you, 
silencing those who oppose the ones in power
won’t increase your salary
and defending those who create your insecurity
is a perfect way to never hear your own voice again.
So how powerful do you really feel?