The George Zimmerman verdict has come and gone. Two jurors have come forward, one saying she thought George was justified in shooting Trayvon Martin, the other who said George was guilty but the state did not present enough evidence to convict him.
I was like many, devastated when I heard the not guilty verdict. The next day was Sunday. THANK GOODNESS. It was much better for me to have to go to church the next day then back at work with all my emotions about the trial. Sunday's sermon topic: "Where do we go from here!" My pastor, Rev. Tony Lee of Community of Hope AME read excerpts from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's letter "Where do we go from Here: Chaos or Community?" My mother who is in her 70's pressed her way to come with me. She lived thru segregation and Jim Crow laws etc. One of the things she said to me afterwards was, "we have to do more than just march."
That statement as small as it seemed got me to really thinking: WHAT AM I GOING TO DO ON MY PART? I realized I needed to do more. There is violence that happens here in my city and state all the time specifically toward brown and black boys and people in general. The sad thing is there is also so much black on black crime. Where did we go so wrong as a race?
My "bestie" who is an educator said something profound recently. She said it all starts with education. If we do not make education the primary focus of our black children and demand excellence, we set them up for failure. Education is the priority. I know what she means as many doors have been closed to me based on the lack of a degree. I must say that I have been granted a lot of favor as many opportunities have come my way without the degree. There is always going to be a fight over fair treatment in the workplace as a person of color, but we have to instill in children to level the playing field whether they work for someone else or become entrepreneurs. There is honestly no way I can preach that without first finishing school myself.
I need to volunteer to tutor reading again. Reading and writing is such a passion of mine. I use to be a reading tutor for the Washington Literacy Council. Not sure why I stopped so I am contacting them again as soon as I finish this post.
Rather than recreating the wheel, I need to support and get involved in at least one after school program, not just by a monetary donation but with my time and attention. We have to want this next generation to do well.
Last, I can recall that most people in my grandparents generation were active members of their local NAACP chapters. Why are we not picking up that tradition? We have to decide that we will not stand for unfair treatment. So my list is now complete. I will be joining my local NAACP chapter, not just paying an annual membership fee but to be active doing my small part that will make a difference.
Where will you go from here?
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| My mother and I at the National Action Network Trayvon Martin Vigil in Washington, DC. |
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