I have lost a lot in the last couple of years.
Within a single year, my brother who was only two years older than I am and my husband who was 22 years older both died. I have grown way too familiar with death and the sadness of its aftermath.
When I married a man so much older than I was, I realized that the odds were good that I would some day become a widow. But I loved him and married him anyway. His death, although unexpected, was due to medical causes. As was my brother's.
But to fear the death of my great-grandsons is something I was not prepared for. And until yesterday that fear only lurked in the back of my mind.
Once, when their mother brought them to visit, she had to tell her younger son, who at 13 was already close to six feet tall, to remove his hoodie before they went to the Rite-Aid in town. And it wasn't because it was over 80º that day.
Today it is real in a way I never imagined.
My great-grandsons are 14 and 16. They are black in this suddenly scary white world.
The older one published this status today on Facebook:
Haven't been on Facebook in a long time. But I felt after seeing this verdict I'd come give my two sense on this trial. I feel as a young black TEENAGE boy I'm not to walk outside with a hood on, I'm not to walk home by myself or unprotected.. But this is what the people want. Yes, this trial is by far more than just racism.. A grown man killed a young child. POINT BLANK, thats not right! But to out think these people and make us look better as a black community.... It's time to step up, stay educated and make something out of yourself . Quit killing one another, lets make a better path for our future black children. Make it right while we still can... That's all I gotta say.
I don't want to live in a society that makes a child feel this way.
"Make it right while we still can..."