If you've marched for black lives in the Lehigh Valley, you may have seen Javier Gooden perform his monologue or music at local protests.
“Performing allows me to be able to take my emotions and my persona being able to transform it into the character that I'm portraying," says Gooden. "The reason why I love to make these songs and I like to use these songs to help spread our causes, because not everyone is going to help spread our cause and me being a part of the Black community and me part of the next generation, I have to take that on for myself.”
Gooden says he wants people to learn how his America is different than the one those who do not have Black skin live in.
"I’m a young Black boy in America and I know that it's not always going to be easy trying to grow up in this society, especially if I have a target on my back because being Black should not have to be a death sentence."
So he's using his experience to rise up and fight for justice.
Gooden wants his generation to create the change that's needed in America.
"Always use your voice, no matter what, even if you feel like you have something to say and you don't want to say, say it anyway, because what you say is important. What you say can help change the narrative and our corrupt society that we have today. So never be afraid to use your voice."
((You can follow Javier Gooden's journey here.))