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A protest sign that says "No justice, no peace."
Photo by Kalea Morgan on Unsplash

Some call it a happy celebration, the end of slavery in 1863;
Yet involuntary servitude is slavery per Webster’s Dictionary.
NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE! shall continue to be screamed,
Though the system wants to silence us with its brainwashing schemes.
All should have a God-given right to life and liberty.
But individuals with melanin are still treated so viciously.
I continue to ask myself, “Will this ever truly be the land of the free?”
Until that day comes, with so many others, I remain on one knee!

Disclaimer: The views in this article are those of the author. Prison Journalism Project has verified the writer’s identity and basic facts such as the names of institutions mentioned.

Ryan Odom is an Irish writer incarcerated in California. She is the mother of five children.