Well, hello there. It's Morgan Harper Nichols here. I'm an artist and a writer, and this is a space where I turn the lens on various topics and subjects and hopes to learn something new or see something in a new way. Today's piece is called, You Belong on this Journey just as much as anyone else. Thank you for listening. Today's episode is inspired by a

piece that I shared on social media, May 29th, 2020, so almost exactly a year ago. And I shared it

in a few days following the tragic death of George Floyd.

And amongst the many, many, many feelings and questions and doubt that comes from that, that came from that,

one of the many things that I thought about was my young son my young

black son and the many things that I will have to teach him and want him to know as he grows older

and on that very long list I landed landed on this idea, something that I've thought about before,

but I really just wanted to take a moment to write it out.

And it's words that I don't necessarily feel are deep and profound.

I'm not the first person to ever say this, but it was something,

and this is where a lot of my poetry comes from, it was something that even though I felt that

it was simplistic in nature and it wasn't anything necessarily new, for me, poetry is a way

of owning what I already know to be true it's not about finding something new

to say but about owning what I already know to be true and I want to highlight and bring to the

surface and remember so this was definitely one of those poems and it became very special to me so before I I talk about the

art itself and the piece itself I just wanted to read the poem you belong on this

journey just as much as anyone else no matter how others see you or how you have been made to think less of yourself.

And this journey has not been easy, but this is also true.

Beautiful strength and courage is rising up within you.

The mere fact that you are here is a gift, no matter who doesn't seem to notice, and for all

that is unknown, you are still free to have hope. Hope is an act of courage, because you don't actually

know how it all plays out. You don't exactly know what lies around the bend,

...