I met Diamond Carter aka d-banga when I was speaking at an Anti Violence Symposium in Stockton, California. She was so inspired by my message of hope, resilience and redemption that she came up to me afterwards with tears in her eyes saying how she was touched. She shared with me that she also had been in foster care and spent much of her time in group home and ran away a lot. She had a rough time on the streets and was in all kinds of trouble that one day she realized that she needed to make something of herself. Well she has! This is her poem/rap that she performed for me. She has some serious skills. I will never forget her and her tattoo’s that cover the top of each hand saying God’s Gift. She truly is and I am encouraged that she believes it. I hope you enjoy her poetic perspective.
Struggling Everyday to Live
By Diamond Carter
I grew up in this world that is just so cold
Now I’m going to sit back and tell you all a story that should of been told…
Strugglin everyday to live in any way
I was in the game trying to get to the fame
so everybody knew my name
Living in the straight up ghetto was hard
We didn’t have any checks or credit cards
Blocks getting shot up
People Getting locked up
Girls getting, What was I suppose to do?
Only If I knew.
I have seen things that I shouldn’t of seen
So violent, so cruel and just so mean
All the thoughts in my head
I thank God that I’m not dead
I was glad I had a bed
Never banged blue, never banged red
No matter what was said
Cops pepper sprayed people like bugs
The streets got me hooked on these drugs
People never caring, no love, no hugs
We was all just thugs
Kids had no hope, I was out selling dope
Families filled with sorrow and pain
Looking outside watching it all happen in the rain
Seeing every game and so I started to speak my slang
All because my partner died and every night I cried
Why on my birthday? Now it is just like a curse day
Striving to survive watching death arrive
I was internally dying
Pillowcase soaked and wet from crying
I am speaking the truth. I ain’t lying
I started hustling, forgot polite and started cussing
I was losing my mind.
It was hard trying to grind, not thinking where this would lead
I started smoking and selling weed
I thought my life would change if I left town
but I found out the hard way…
It wouldn’t change unless I decided to change my whole life around.
