Living poor my whole life, I've noticed biased laws and policies passed by politicians that discriminate against people of color. Placing people in the box: stigmatized and discriminating against returning citizens, labeling them felons while barring them from utilizing their civil liberties. America is a country known for being the land of the free; people are chasing the American dream. But there is an ongoing tension between reality and appearance. What appears as if things changed; the truth is, the American nightmare has caused many Americans pain and even their life. America is a nation that capitalizes on human capital. The side effects of mass incarceration have plagued families, shifting the family dynamics. It is creating a vicious cycle that never ends.

Experiencing bullying at home from my three sisters caused me to leave at a young age. I was encountering gang life, drugs, and violence in the streets of Brooklyn and becoming like my oppressors. Bullying created mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Bullying forced me to self-destruct, creating a criminality mindset and digging myself into a deeper hole until society abstracted me like cancer.

Living in a community ravished with drugs, violence, and poverty, I've noticed how young Black and Latinos are killing themselves over nothing. We are conditioned into hating each other. You cannot destroy the master's house with the master's tool. Once you control the mind and emotions, the body follows, and you are easily manipulated. Protect your energy. For you, allow people to rent space in your head. What you put out into the universe will return with force.

Having a mental health issue can cause you a lifetime of pain and even have you questioning yourself like, "What's wrong with me?" Leaving you stigmatized or discriminated against by a friend, family, or some person. Imagine having a mental health disorder while being incarcerated. There are no services in prison to help prisoners escape discrimination, stigma, or abuse (emotional, physical, verbal, intellectual, etc.) from prisoners and or staff. I want to raise awareness among people who may be biased toward people with mental disorders. And hopefully, we, as a society, can get on board with helping our communities and returning citizens heal together from long-term trauma. Mental struggles are nothing new under the Sun; we, as a community, need to learn how to address mental health issues with the right tools, and not by incarceration.

Trust is a central part of all human relationships, including romantic partnerships, family life, business operations, politics, and medical practices. Trust is essential to building healthy relationships.

This segment is based on a poem I wrote three days ago for an open mike at Ignacio's. It talks about how people hide hurt behind a smile. Not only do they hide their brokenness with a smile people can deceive a person with a smile too. This beautiful poem takes you through the different levels of emotions I went through the day I broke down. But the beauty and essence of it are; God blesses those who are obedient, faithful, merciful, and graceful with an abundance of gifts if you put your trust in him. You must trust in the Lord, for trusting in the Lord, our Lord, and Savior will raise you to a pedal stool where none of your enemies or storms can touch you.

Pain is something realistic. Pain can help build or destroy you. Pain is something every human being has in common. It does not matter how much wealth you accumulate, pain does not discriminate; it affects everyone.

Living life and learning from a mistake is beneficial for growth. An error should never define who you are. To succeed, you must learn from failure.

Making the best choices in life can get you far. But an unpopular choice, in a harmful lifestyle, can send you to two places, prison or the cemetery.

We try to change the world, but we will fail. If we do not change how we perceive the world, then we will miss the experience.