Dear Baby Girl,
Today you saw a group of men and women make a choice.
A choice that your dad did not have.
A choice that you will never get to make.
They assigned value to a life that wasn’t theirs to evaluate.
They attempted to deem the importance of a heartbeat by hearing stories from people who didn’t know him.
They examined his entire life from his first breathe to his last.
They attempted to punish him for wrongs he corrected.
They portrayed him as a person who made a stand and that is the farthest thing from true.
He fought for air to continue to fill his lungs for you.
So that he could continue to show you day in and day out that you, precious girl, have an infinite amount of value.
To hold you when you experienced your first heartbreak.
To celebrate your accomplishments in a way that only dads can.
To push you to keep going when you have moments of wanting to give up.
To be confident of the skin you are in.
To embrace the rich history of your people.
To choose excellence regardless of what society has to say.
A group of men and women chose to make right an action so vile and painful that can never be made right.
As people flood the streets with cheers, posters, and marches, they do so to celebrate that punishment is being served.
As days, weeks, and months pass his memory will live on but you may be forgotten in the continued fight for change.
So on the darkest of days I hope those left standing beside you remind you of these things:
You are strong enough to conquer the world!
You are brave enough to fight any battle!
You are smart enough to be anything your heart desires!
You are made of determination, love, and endless power!
You have no limitations for what you can accomplish!
You are powerful and no matter what tries to stop you it will never succeed!
So, as you have moments of intense sadness, pain, and an abundance of questions that can never be answered, we see you!
We as a community are sorry that you experienced this defining moment.
We are sorry that you have to live over and over again the moment when your dad left this earth.
We are sorry that he will be used to make a statement for change.
We are sorry that his story has been immortalized in a manner that does not bring him or you honor.
Our apologies will never suffice to even begin creating a small moment of peace or happiness.
Our apologies will not erase the fear of red and blue lights that will always linger.
Our apologies will after some time fade from cheers to silent whispers.
For those who will not walk your journey, experience your pain, or understand your trauma, we are sorry.
Although our future choices will do nothing to change the present, know that your dad sparked something in all of us that we will not soon forget!
That we will keep fighting and pushing forward for his legacy be on the right side of our peoples story!
But, more importantly know that we understand we did not get it right.
And, in this moment for what it’s worth, we will never stop trying!
All we have to offer in this moment is our deepest and sincere apologies.
We wasted the countless moments that could have prevented this from being your story.
The weight of that guilt will forever stain our nation, and we will never stop being reminded that we let you down.
Dear baby girl, your community of brothers, sisters, auntie, uncles, cousins, grandma, and pop-pops will not let your pain be felt in vain.
Because, we are truly and deeply sorry that you have to feel it at all!
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