Over the last 5 days, I have been exposed to horrific, traumatic, life altering acts but one message remains clear to me: HOPE. It is hope that gave individuals the strength to move beyond the senseless subjection to violence, endless beatings, the sense of constant fear. Fear of being beaten, fear of being raped, fear of being separated from your immediate family only to be forcibly transported elsewhere. Once reaching your “elsewhere” the fear is still palpable. It is hope that enables one to, eventually, if possible, create a new family, form bonds that are the product of trauma…only to live in that constant state of fear of being ripped away from that new sense of belonging. Sadly, I have realized, that happens again and again and again. How many times can one’s heart be ripped away? How many times can one create a new sense of belonging and foster feelings of love? However, for many, even though this was an enduring pain….hope prevailed, even when everything was stripped away.
I cannot understand why the truth is being withheld. Does it hurt? yes.
Just passed a Confederate Flag on the highway. Are you kidding? Kate pointed out the Hugo Black building, then also mentioned that he was a member of the KKK. How are we still, in 2025, keeping these items out in public? How can we explain expect ANYONE that is not white to feel secure? Welcomed? A sense of belonging?
Hearing from Reverend Carolyn McKinstry, as all of our speakers, was a mesmerizing experience. She mentioned that the lesson for the morning of the bombing was: love that forgives. She has taken that lesson and centralized her life around forgiveness and love. She said several times that: people will be who that chose to be. I have come to realize that leading a life of hatred, breeds hatred.
The black community in America has chosen to lead with nonviolence. It is the white community that leads with violence and then spins the narrative to one of whites being victims. The false victimization is one that is continuously feed through the social media machine.
I will learn to communicate this in my classroom and allow my lessons to revolve around the lesson of nonviolence and forgiveness.