In three days two young Nigerian girls died.
Died doing the right thing:
Minding their business.
One shot by reckless policemen.
Another raped, bludgeoned and killed by men.
I won’t add a gender war to current problems
But,
If we don’t raise a better generation of people,
Posterity will judge us. Harshly.
Young men are conditioned to equate
Masculinity to sexual conquest.
Yet, true masculinity is so much more!
Empathy, courage and wisdom, that’s a man.
I really want to raise the kind of child,
That not only stands up to peer pressure,
But stands up for others.
I grew up with a mum ready to fight the police
For injustice done to someone she doesn’t know•
In a random car in front of hers in traffic…
…In Nigeria’s military era. Bruh.
At ours, my dad wouldn’t ever let us apply
For ANY scholarships,even when fees were hard.
“Leave scholarships for those with no options!”•
Because he was one of those people once.
I am a product of these people.
It starts with an example. Talk is cheap.
I think how many stories would be so different,
If one man in a group of policemen arresting,
One man in a line of men waiting a turn,
Just one man stood up, spoke out and said,
“This is not fair.”
I read this funny tweet once that said,•
“Mark my words,
There will be no men in heaven.”
I laugh to remember it. Such an ominous threat.
Yet I wonder, what sort of damage and hurt were

Perpetuated to the point that when this woman
Thought of heaven, safe haven, peaceful eternity,
It lacked an entire gender?
These aren’t fighting words, I like men.
I’m also aware that women, especially in Nigeria,
Also sometimes benefit from the patriarchy•

(Before you ask me about small girls & big gods)
Yet, in our a society, chronic inequality abounds.
Yes, there are many good men. We need more.
We. Must. Raise. Better. Men.
We must encourage and support, and be allies
As we are doing with race today.
We need to work together to point out
Where our conditioning is killing us,
Where the systems of entitlement, or privilege
Benefit some and horribly disenfranchise others.
So that all our daughters can dream of a heaven,
With as many men as women.
Please.