Black books, African heritage books, mind/body/spirit, The Ancestral Energies Blog by Zhana, author of Success Strategies for Black People and Black Success Stories. African diasporic healing, health and wellness, and success.
Nevaeh Thomas, an 11-year old girl from Kansas City, says that she was
racially harassed and assaulted by a 12-year old boy while playing
outside. The boy allegedly began calling her racial slurs and then
knocked her unconscious when she told him “my Black is beautiful.”
I see this photograph of her lying wounded in a hospital bed and it just breaks my heart.
Your Black IS beautiful, baby. One has to wonder why this boy is so hateful at the age of 12. Why can't he tolerate a Black child celebrating her own beauty? So sad. These stories break my heart.
One of the questions in my mind is: What was going through this police officer's mind? What was he thinking about when he went into the classroom, put handcuffs on this little girl, led her out of the building and put her in a police car? What on earth was he thinking about?
He is a grown-ass man, arresting a six-year-old. What is wrong with him?
Also, who ordered a six-year-old to be arrested? On what grounds?
Do these people even realise that they are part of a racist narrative? Because this is the kind of thing that has been going on since slavery. And in South Africa, remember in Soweto, they SHOT loads of children who were protesting against apartheid.
So what are these people thinking?
I am going to be blogging more about this soon. But in the meantime, if you want some information about solutions, including Nonviolent Communication (NVC) which can PREVENT this kind of thing from happening, go here for some NVC resources.
If you have been reading my blog posts, you know that I am passionate about ending the violence. Ending the violence within the Black community. Ending the violence within Black families. Ending the violence against our young people. Ending the violent acts our young people are committing against themselves and each other. Ending police violence against members of the Black community.
I want to see an end to all violence experienced by everyone, everywhere all over the world. And my community - the global Black/African community - is my priority.
Below are some news stories I have seen recently. You may have seen them, too. Each and every one of these stories breaks my heart. Bullying is something that blights children's lives. In some cases, bullying has cost children their lives. And it can be prevented.
As you know, if you are familiar with my work, I am very solution-focused. Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is one highly effective method of PREVENTING violence. See below for more information about NVC.
Black Father Helps Teen Son Build Business - At his son's request, this father dropped a case about racial bullying within the classroom. Instead, they built a new business. Well done!
Christian Tinsley: Black Mother Banned from School
A Black mother was banned from her daughter's school after confronting the child's bullies.
When Christian Tinsley learned that her daughter was being bullied and
sexually harassed at school, she instinctively wanted to protect her
child. However, when she confronted her daughter’s bullies, the school
responded by banning her from the school’s property.
A group of boys was bullying her on a daily basis. Tinsley said her daughter has been targeted for racist and derogatory harassment and bullying for months. Many people would say she did what a mother should do - she protected her child.
McKenzie Adams, a 4th grader at U.S. Jones Elementary School in Alabama,
died last week after she hung herself in their home. Her family blames
racist bullying that apparently occurred at her school.
Constant, unrelenting bullying - this may be what drove this little girl to take her own life.
Jasmine Adams, McKenzie’s mother, was grieving for the death of her
daughter. She said that McKenzie was being bullied at school and she
told her teachers and her assistant principal about it. Go here to read more. This is what we mean when we talk about nonviolence and NVC - we are talking about life and death. This kind of tragic incident breaks my heart - I am sure it breaks yours, too. And it is preventable.
