Hector Lopez 

Professor Williams 

26 February 2015 

English 1A 

In class today we saw Boots Riley performing his poem “Underdog”, he sent out an extreme amount of powerful messages that where relatable. I feel that when Riley talks about the underdog he is referring to people who live in poor communities and try their best to keep up with life,as when he refers to they, I feel like he is talking about the people that once where in the same situation as the ones living in poverty but where able to get out, but know act new as if they don't know the people they once suffered with. A few parts of his poem that really where significant to me where when he says, “Coming home don’t never seem to be a celebration Bills, they piled up on the coffee table like they’re decorations” (Boots Riley). This really touched me because I remember a point in my life where my family was really struggling to make ends meet and the tables and vibes at home where exactly the same as Riley explains them. Another point that was significant, was when Riley says “ It’s almost impossible survivin’ on this fraction Sip a 40 to the brain for the chemical reaction”. I see this everyday in my apartment complex, and it sad to see people loose hope, and plainly give up on life.  Something that really touches me is the part when riley says, “Somebody’s mom caught a job and a welfare fraud case, when she breathe, she swears it feels like plastic wrap around her face”. This really touches me because I love my mom, and as the years go by i can see how work has affected her health and I see her get weaker as the years continue to pass.