Not only have we been climbing this hill
We’ve been pushing bone-crushing stones to the top
Sometimes we make progress, other times we stand still
And on occasion, we feel the pressure to stop

But there’s a chorus of voices cheering us from all sides
And new forces have joined us to carry the weight
Yet perhaps it’s a ruse, are they just loyal online?
Because if so, not much has changed in our fate

These are feelings I’ve heard have been felt by minorities
Living in this land built on overt oppression
In the face of danger, they’re expected to stay orderly
But you’ll never hear the government give that confession

I am a white man living in America
I possess the privilege to discard these thoughts
I could spend my life pretending racism is hysteria
But the people directly impacted cannot

I could live a life of deliberate ignorance
Never recognizing my skin tone is beneficial
Because being caucasian somehow makes a difference
To employers and law enforcement officials

So thank you to the past and present activists
Who frequently remind me to combat the violence
That includes every protestor, not just the pacifists
Because actions are needed when words are silenced

There will likely never be a flawless President
But the last one set quite a dangerous precedent
I saw January 6^th unfold live on the internet
A full year has passed, punishment hasn’t been given yet

If anything vital came from those four years
It would be the exposure of our corrupt system
The most concealed faults were made crystal clear
And it became known which citizens remain victims

The nation is unfinished may be an understatement
Because united is in the word nation’s definition
How can we be a country when our disunion is so blatant?
We require foundational rebuilding and revision

We’ve been climbing this hill for countless sunsets
But it turns out the hill was an entire mountain range
When the finish seems near, we find the journey isn’t done yet
But it must be worth the trek if the destination is change

Some Americans claim to be guilt-free and virtuous
Saying how can I be racist, I’m completely color-blind
But ignoring past injustice is ignorance, not perfectness
So all you’re really doing is turning a blind eye

One of the greatest deterrents to improvement
Is deceiving one’s self into thinking all is well
And lately in this country, I’ve witnessed a movement
To claim our nation is a Heaven, and silence those who feel it’s Hell

Derek Chauvin was imprisoned for murdering George Floyd
He knelt on a man’s neck for nearly ten minutes
Yet when he received his sentence, there was massive shock and joy
That a cop was held accountable for crimes he committed

White Americans, this offended defensiveness must halt
I assure you, we are not the ones under attack
It’s easy to say our generation is not at fault
But addressing our race’s wrongs is the only ask

We live in the shade, leaps and bounds from the light
We’re at the base of the mountain, our climb has just begun
Let’s applaud our remarkable progress and might
But we must continue climbing until we reach the sun