The verses I compose tell the story of a Generation Z, African American woman living in America. My poems are not intended to be about race but to chronicle my life experiences over the last eighteen years, and thus they cannot help but become about race. They tell the complex, winding story of identity, racism, colorism, and otherism. I encourage my fellow Gen Z'ers to follow in the footsteps of our ancestors and continue to fight for social justice. To make words like love, peace, freedom, and equality become a reality instead of a placeholder where hope resides.