Daniel Mapp is a 25-year-old poet in Athens. Mapp shares his experiences of being a person of color in America.

Mapp says that minorities have a disadvantage in America because the judicial system is against them. He goes on to talk about how there are more Latinx people and black people in prison than the Caucasian population.

He mentions that the stereotype surrounding blacks in America is a stereotype of them being “viewed as criminals and drug dealers and potential felons.”

“Black Lives Matters to me is the fundamentals that we need in our generation. It is trying to bring about equality rather than division. It gives us a voice.”

When asked about the best thing one can do to help the black population, Mapp offers this advice, “Get out, ask people what they go through every day. Don’t stereotype each other. Ask what can I do for you and what can we do for each other. It is about communicating, if you communicate it lessens the division.”

He ends by saying he has hope for the future generations and thinks America is moving in the right direction and will come together and become more integrated.

“Let us rebuild ourselves. We need to be noticed rather than labeled.”