To Black Americans

Let me first speak,
As though being rebuked by one of your Poet Laureates,
Who called me racist.

I am not racist.
I simply know the issues you face
Having learned it from black men
And also being faced with the same limitations.

I don't think racism existed for most of my life.
I rarely, if ever, heard a racial pejorative.
I never saw racism
I don't think, if you're honest,
You did either.
From about 1976 
To 2016
I think it's fair to claim
That the specter of racism was defeated.

What brought it back, was a few events
Which I will offer to you.
Simply from an academic standpoint,
I don't mean to lecture you on things
That you will feel you have more knowledge of.
Though, I submit, that if you're honest
You'll see I am spot on.

In 2009 Obama held his Beer Summit;
To which, the arresting officer was rebuked
Publically for an arrest. As wrong as it was
This started a public perception about police
That they were somehow biased and targative toward Blacks.

What followed, was in 2014 Bill Cosby
Was arrested for date rape, and this started a chain reaction
Which disenfranchised the Black Community
And their seated state in society.

Then what followed was the purported Jussie Smollett
Incident, where he wrongly accused a phantom of racism.
Which stoked flames amidst a brewing Crisis
All amid Donald Trump's reelection campaign
Where the Black Lives Matter slogan became popularized
And a marginal and fringe issue became embedded in the cultural conscience.
Stemming from the Beer Summit in 2009.

These are the facts. Whether you want them to be, or not.
I grew up in the 90s and 00s, and I never saw racism.
I had black students attend my school who were unharassed;
Even celebrated and very popular.
This was true in most rural and suburban schools.
There was great interest in black culture due to Eminem's involvement 
In Rap, people were divulging a lot of respect for the Black Community
And prejudice was nearly extinguished.
Then, the seed of doubt was planted in Americans
And Obama didn't mean this---I'm sure---
But the Media drives the perception of Americans
And creates mass hysterias over nothing.
Just like how our groceries were supposed to have
Gone up extremely high, when they simply didn't.
Just like Covid was a mass hysteria,
When it was simply a moderately severe flu.

Embedded in this, will be called "Racism".
It is not racism. It's simply the truth.
A truth you need to know, so we can have peace again.

There is racism now. Lots of it. 
People who previously weren't racist
Now are the most flagrant.
It is a media hysteria,
It is a perception being falsely created.
Just look at the statistics for Black men being shot by the police.
You'll see your answer, as I know many black conservatives have.

I speak this from love...
I want you to flourish.