A young man at my high school is currently not able to recite a poem at our senior talent show because his poem topic is about the "black lives matter" movement.His piece did not contain anything offensive but our principal claimed it was too controversial and an attack on police. It does not contain any type of hate speech.Allowing him to perform this will help others raise awareness of important social issues and create path to talk about issues in America in a non-judgmental conversation for all to voice their opinion.

My name is Marcus Shaw and I am a senior at Towson High School. Since I was enrolled in the Law and Public Policy Program in 9th grade, I have attempted to make an impact at my school, county, and country. During my 9th and 10th grade year, I played JV basketball and was the captain in my 10th grade year. In my 11th grade year, I created a writing club at, I was named Law Student of the Year finalist, and I received an award for being an AP scholar with distinction. During the summer after my junior year, I interned for the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office and participated in programs that allowed me to meet with the President of the United States. As a senior, I am the class president of my school, the co-legislative director for Baltimore County Student Councils, the vice president of the Habitat for Humanity Chapter at my school, the founding president of the newly established National English Honor Society chapter at my school, and mentor of at risk youths at my high school.

I also write spoken word poetry. This year, when the senior talent show was open for auditions, I auditioned my poem that was published in Towson High School’s literary arts magazine, Colophon. The poem is attached to this email. My principal Charlene DiMino declined my admission to the performance. She called it offensive and an attack on the police. During my meeting to review the poem, she could not articulate which lines were offensive but instead invited Towson’s SRO (school resource officer) into her office. Then they both explained to me that the poem could not be performed at the senior talent show because of, what they described as, the overall offensive tone of the poem. Mrs. DiMino then went on to imply that my lack of relationship with police officers could be the reason why I wrote such a poem until she learned of my grandfather’s 33 years of service as a police officer with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. She never took the time to give constructive criticism. Instead, the meeting left me feeling frustrated, censored, and helpless because I had no further recourse. I was not instructed, but rather derailed from the very thing I’m taught in my enrolled program.

Believe Me

Officer, I'm begging you to believe

That never ever have I smoked weed

And please do not tell me that I have to leave

I need to stay in school and continue to read



Picture if you were me

Where everyone believes that you have a baby

By the time you reach the age of a teen

And the only question they ask is if you crip or bleed



But what if that's not the case

Up my sleeve, I think I have an ace

That can answer the problems that all people face

No matter the skin color, no matter the race



It doesn't involve mixing baking soda

Or shooting a brother just cause somebody told ya

Or shooting a ball because that's how they coached ya

Or rapping like Chief Keef, King Sosa.



It's called education

No matter what you do that should be the foundation

You won't need a welfare donation

You can live your life and even vacation



I now see some police

Some start riots instead of keeping the peace

That’s the difference between them and me

I see a few bad apples not a whole tree

Some will cause my parents grief

By killing me, by killing me

Like Eric Garner

I cannot breath

But I promise I will garner my responsibilities

I want to succeed

No, I have to succeed

My life will not end at 23

I will beat that expectancy

And have children to carry my legacy

But, Officer, it's not my weed.

Officer it's not my weed.

-Marcus Shaw