Contrary to Popular Belief

Photo by jurien huggins on Unsplash

contrary to popular belief,
this skin is not bullet-proof
my melanin is not flame-retardant
my blackness is not stain-resistant

please disregard what they told you about:
black equals militant
black equals belligerent
black equals combative

because contrary to popular belief,
this black body has survived premeditated murder
this black heart is paper mâché
this black mind is an evolutionary defense mechanism

please,
see past the skin that shields me
this body is fragile
destructible
breakable
treat it as such.