This is a perspective poem I wrote that was inspired by Suzanne Spaak's quote, "Alone with my thoughts there is still freedom." This phrase was found inscribed on her cell wall in Fresnes prison in France before she was taken to be executed in the prison yard. It is unclear by whom and under what order she was killed, as she had been pardoned and was due for release at the end of World War II.

Suzanne Spaak (1905-1944) was imprisoned by the Gestapo in Fresnes for her allegiance to the French Resistance in Paris against Nazism and for helping rescue 60 Jewish children who had been captured. She was not Jewish.

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Reading her quote at the National Holocaust Museum in Glen Cove, NY, made me reflect on the value of having peace of mind. When we have internal peace, even the heaviest of situations can be lightened. True strength is not based solely on one's ability to master one's environment, but one's mind. As I've gotten older, my ability to calm myself while facing trying times feels invaluable. I don't think we can ever be free until we master our minds. And at
the time I really needed this reminder, so I'm glad I had these realizations during my trip there.

However, the more research I did on her story, the more I realized that my emphasis on establishing peace of mind was not the only thing I needed to improve. It reminded me of how easy it is to be silent in the face of oppression when it doesn't directly impact you. After this moment, I had to check myself for when I've had a word but held my tongue or didn't create what I was inspired to. I've always agreed that when we are neutral in situations of injustice, we are choosing the side of the oppressor. But I needed a reminder that not following through with my convictions not only deprives the community but can destroy my potential. So, I'm thankful to have learned Suzanne Spaak's story cause it strengthened my belief that we must perennially invest in humanity. #FF1944🖤
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Follow me @Uriahw.42 on Instagram & @acappellaevangelist on TikTok for more pieces like this.

Fresnes, France 1944

Amos 5:24: "But let justice roll like the waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." Justice is a big concept and can be a big challenge, so what happens when we view justice as an act of Love? An act of creating a world more in tune with God's vision for our us?

Justice Is Love

In this episode, we sit down with Tennessee State Representative Gloria Johnson, who has dedicated her life to fighting for justice and standing up for those left out or left behind. A special education teacher for 27 years, Gloria became fed up with elected officials attacking the rights of public school students and teachers. As a member of the “Tennessee Three,” she demanded that Republican politicians in Nashville stop the nonsense and pass gun safety laws to prevent future shootings. Now, Gloria is running for U.S. Senate with a mission to shift power back to working and middle-class families. She is committed to lowering costs for Tennessee families, expanding access to affordable healthcare, protecting reproductive freedom, passing common-sense gun safety measures, and increasing funding for public schools. Tune in as we discuss her journey, her vision for Tennessee, and why she’s ready to bring real change to Washington.

Gloria Johnson: Fighting for Tennessee's Future

NXTLVL and I made this song a few weeks ago because we wanted to shed light on the reality of where we come from and have lived for majority of our lives. Paying homage to our city has always been a factor in how we create. We also know the perception of Henderson is that of poverty and death; which is a manifestation of a myriad of problems plaguing not just our city but our country and culture as a whole. With the tragedy of Javion MaGee, that perception will only expand. We will change this. It takes time and effort on multiple fronts but we have the power to turn hell into heaven.

LYRICS:
NXTLVL4L
I grew up residential
And when you see me best believe i’m smoking presidential 
Good green, shitty town - you would never think so
Run down, gunned down cause we a lil hateful and full of greed
Behind the mask we don’t put down we really need 
Solid foundation, with more safety, expansion
But we too busy complaining on what we lacking
Confused on what we really want -
Excuse me, i’m hitting blunts 
Passing to the homies while we cruising Andrews 
Hit the Bojangles cause we right here, fuck we might as well

In a lil hell we tryna make a heaven 
In a lil hell we tryna make a heaven
In a lil town we tryna make it happen
In a lil town we tryna make it happen
Seen ghetto, seen boujie, seen em all rolling sevens 
Not a damn thing to lose and its blessing

Whether its for the youngin that be rough up in the streets 
Or a preacher man that wanna be better praying for me and you 
Let’s not forget about them ones that said fuck it dropped out of school 
Or of course the sweet old lady that’s been born and raised saying “The least y’all can do is learn how to behave, before you hit the grave”
Catch you at the wrong place blowing out   ya brain 
Or catch you feeling hungry so I eat up off your plate 
Or hit you with a gaslight, bitch I manipulate
15k full of people in this town I grew up, just a lil fucked up 
Henderson don’t play no games never no matter the lane 
We all about the chase for some dead presidents 
To the thugs, to the hicks, or the boujie residents, to the real, to the fake 
15k full of people in this town i grew up, just a lil fucked up

VSTHEWORLD
Just a lil fucked up
Just a lil fucked up
Just a lil fucked up
Tryna get a quick buck
Better watch that fuckin corner, know they got that shit tucked 
Watch them coppers in the cut, they tryna get ya locked up
Watch that fiend boy how he leanin know that boy just shot up
My grandma block got shot up
They serving right down on the street, I jump on trampolines
I reach my hand up for the clouds, it look better to me

I feel my world is spinning round, I think I’m on a bean
I take a breath and look around, my brothers holding beams
Every damn cell up in my body telling me to leave
I know the chaos that ensues, all you gone hear is screams

I hear that jingle from that truck and want some ice cream
We might go fish up on the lake, it look like one of my dreams
I see that nigga ridin on 50s, he just got it cleaned
And I just got a butter biscuit right from Tasty Freeze
And me and my sister talk to our friend but I think they make believe 
And me and Travanti smoked on paper but it’s make believe 
You see a hunnid boys with locs but that ain’t Maybelline
We shake our dreads, shake our dreads and then we make a scene 
It’s crazy death and violence only way we make the feed
16 million views for niggas lettin choppas sing
My fam from out of town come here say we don’t got a thing
It’s either drink or smoke or fuck or ride around the scene 

They say we crabs up in a barrel but I think that’s make believe 
I see my people in some peril, it ain’t make believe 
“One day my city might get safe” it sound like make believe 
But I could turn hell into heaven, it’s what I may believe

HendoHeaven - NXTLVL4L & VSTHEWORLD

It was a time when the appointment of women to police forces was a rare occurrence in the early 20th century in the United States. Most police departments were hesitant to hire women as patrol officers, often assigning them to roles such as matrons caring for female prisoners or juveniles. However, Alice Stebbins Wells shattered this norm when she became the first female police officer with arrest powers, hired by the Los Angeles Police Department in 1910. 
 
Wells' pioneering and tenacious spirit was evident from a young age. Born in Manhattan, Kansas, in 1873, she later moved to Enid, Oklahoma, as part of the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1893. In her late teens, while teaching at a rural schoolhouse, she had a frightening encounter with a man who attempted to enter the school. This incident, rather than discouraging her, fueled her determination to learn skills to protect herself and the schoolchildren better. This led her to pursue classes in jiu-jitsu and marksmanship.
 
At the age of 30, Wells moved to Los Angeles, following her older sister Ada, who was a successful newspaper reporter. She found work as a probation officer but soon realized that her lack of police powers was hindering her ability to enforce the law. Determined to make a difference, she lobbied tirelessly for a chance to prove her capabilities, facing numerous rejections and resistance. The Los Angeles Police Chief was initially against the idea, but Wells had gained strong allies. In 1910, her perseverance paid off when she was appointed as the first female police officer with the same arrest powers as male officers in the LAPD. 
 
Initially restricted to handling cases involving female offenders and juveniles, Wells proved highly competent and dedicated, responding to trouble calls at all-night hours. Within a year, her police powers were expanded to be on par with male officers. In her 30-year career, she estimated she drove over 70,000 miles performing her duties around the Los Angeles area. She retired in 1940 at the rank of Policewoman Sergeant, having set the standard for women serving in law enforcement. 
 
Wells was a trailblazer who opened the door for other exceptional women. In 1917, two more female officers were added to the LAPD. In 1956, the Los Angeles Police Department swore in its first African American policewoman in Georgia, Ann Robinson. Their contributions built on the foundation that Wells established in breaking the gender barrier for sworn female officers with full police powers. It was a landmark achievement in both women's history and law enforcement history at a time when traditional gender role attitudes predominately shut women out of policing. But through her perseverance and competence, Alice Stebbins Wells irrevocably changed those notions, paving the way for a future where female officers could serve with full police powers.

Opener A Brief History Of The United States. First Female Police Officer

The appointment of women to police forces was exceedingly rare in the early 20th century in the United States. Most police departments refused to hire women as patrol officers, instead relegating them to roles such as matrons caring for female prisoners or juveniles. However, Alice Stebbins Wells broke new ground when she was hired as the first female police officer with arrest powers by the Los Angeles Police Department in 1910.

A Brief History Of The United States. First Female Police Officer Part 1

A Brief History Of The United States. First Female Police Officer Part 2

Hopeful Spring

Chorus:
Work and share a common goal,
A world united, strong and whole.
Break the chains, let freedom ring,
A new society, a hopeful spring.

Verse 1:
From the factory floor to the fields of green,
We labor together, a powerful scene.
No more bosses, no more greed,
A worker’s paradise, a future’s seed.

Chorus:
Arbeit und Teilung, ein gemeinsames Ziel,
Eine vereinte Welt, stark und ganz.
Brecht die Ketten, lasst die Freiheit erklingen,
Eine neue Gesellschaft, ein hoffnungsvoller Frühling.

Verse 2:
From each according to their gifts,
To each according to their needs.
A mantra for the ages, a revolutionary sound,
A world transformed, where hope abounds.

Chorus:
Work and share a common goal,
A world united, strong and whole.
Break the chains, let freedom ring,
A new society, a hopeful spring.

Bridge:
We’ll build a world where all are free,
A society of equity.
No more poverty, no more strife,
A better future, a worthy life.

Chorus:
Arbeit und Teilung, ein gemeinsames Ziel,
Eine vereinte Welt, stark und ganz.
Brecht die Ketten, lasst die Freiheit erklingen,
Eine neue Gesellschaft, ein hoffnungsvoller Frühling.

Chorus:
Work and share a common goal,
A world united, strong and whole.
Break the chains, let freedom ring,
A new society, a hopeful spring.

Hopeful Spring

Barbed Wire Pledge

[Verse 1:]
Barbed wire shadows stretch, flag waving through the haze
Reciting empty promises, words they never meant
A child behind the fence line, learning what’s unsaid
Constitution’s just paper when your rights are hanging by a thread

[Chorus:]
I pledge allegiance! (To what?)
To the fight that sets us free!
Justice and liberty! (For who?)
For ALL, not just for me!
I will NOT back down!
AMERICA’S PROMISE
IS WHAT I’VE FOUND!

[Verse 2:]
They locked us up in cages, called us enemy and threat
But my voice cuts through their lies, my fire burns them yet
Every broken promise feeds the fight in my chest
This country’s not their property; we’ll make it our best!

[Chorus:]
I pledge allegiance! (To what?)
To the fight that sets us free!
Justice and liberty! (For who?)
For ALL, not just for me!
I will NOT back down!
AMERICA’S PROMISE
IS WHAT I’VE FOUND!

[Bridge:Spoken/shouted with rising intensity]
THEY THOUGHT THEY COULD SILENCE!
THEY THOUGHT WE’D FALL IN LINE!
BUT EVERY WALL THEY BUILT
FUELED THIS FIRE OF MINE!

[Verse 3:]
Generations fighting, turning pain to power
Transforming this nation, hour by hour
Not the America they showed me, but the one we’ll create
Where liberty means EVERYONE - no exceptions, no hate!

[Chorus:]
I pledge allegiance! (To what?)
To the fight that sets us free!
Justice and liberty! (For who?)
For ALL, not just for me!
I will NOT back down!
AMERICA’S PROMISE
IS WHAT I’VE FOUND!

[Outro:]
Barbed wire fell to dust, the flag still waves today
I pledge allegiance—not to power, but to pave a better way!

The photograph is:

Title: Entrance to Manzanar, Manzanar Relocation Center
Creator(s):
Adams, Ansel, 1902-1984, photographer
Date Created/Published: 
[1943]
Medium:
1 photographic print : gelatin silver.
1 negative : safety film.
Repository: 
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Collections:
Ansel Adams’s Photographs of Japanese-American Internment at Manzanar
  
https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2002695960/


Barbed Wire Pledge

Do not abandon
Do not abandon

Do justly, now
Love mercy, now
Walk humbly, now

Do not abandon
Do not abandon

Small acts of kindness
Justice
And humility 
Make a difference

Do not abandon
Do not abandon

Do justly, now
Love mercy, now
Walk humbly, now

Do not abandon
Do not abandon

Small acts of kindness
Justice
And humility 
Make a difference

Do not abandon
Do not abandon

Do justly, now
Love mercy, now
Walk humbly, now

Do not abandon
Do not abandon

Each step matters
Positive actions 
Contribute to a greater whole

Do not abandon
Do not abandon
Do not abandon
Do not abandon

Do justly, now
Love mercy, now
Walk humbly, now

Do not abandon
Do not abandon
Do not abandon
Do not abandon

Do not abandon

Do not abandon

Fraternal Order of Police, Silicon Valley Lodge 52 is dedicated to promoting and protecting members’ rights through strong representation, constantly working towards improving their safety and quality of life. Lodge 52 members work to improve their local community through volunteer support and financial assistance.

Lodge 52 was founded upon a foundation of unity, integrity and leadership. We are an active participant in law enforcement labor issues on the local, state and national levels.

Become a member today

The weekly podcast of Round Hill Community Church, covering topics from faith to culture and everything in between!

The Rev. Ed Horstmann, host
Leslie Smith Kons, host & executive producer

Visionary Artist 👁️✍🏾🗣️ | #UCR4L 💜

YouTube: @acappellaevangelist

New tracks tagged #JusticeForAll