This project is a collaboration between high school spoken word poets and graphic design college students.
BALTIMORE
[Written by Cooper Nijah]
I grew up thinking we were the best
[Written by Cooper Nijah]
I grew up thinking we were the best
place in the world, thinking we were
the only place in the world never
thinking ¨outside the box¨ my mind
focused on one place, once was
proud of being called a Baltimorean,
but now as I grow into a woman I
realize I’m not a Baltimorean.
See the way my mind is set up I
want to get out before it’s too late,
before my brothers get into
drugs girls and gangs before one
simple mistake can take their
life way, no we not the only place
that have violence and gangs but
here it’s more common.
Baltimore is a place where people
don’t shake hands with beef but
fight, shoot and stab to stop the next
man’s breath not thinking about
their families or friends. Baltimore
why can’t I leave? Why can’t
the city be like me? why do we have
to show ignorance, betrayal and
have no lead but follow those
who don’t have no care of who or
what I want to be.
Baltimore we are better than this
why not fight with our voices
versus our fist, we have a
fight that we have to win, we
have homeless children, men
and women, we have abandoned
buildings, Baltimore we are falling
into pieces, failing as a whole
and destroying our name as “Charm
City” We need to uplift each other
and help one another so our city can
be beautiful, BALTIMORE!
