Eyes on

Eyes on me, not i ‘s at you

I have been told my most endearing quality is my smile, and I think that is because if you’ve had practice it To avoid truly showing the depth and range of emotion you’re truly feeling, you get for good at it. My ability to find humor in the midst of pain and deflect true accountability may be unmatched by anyone. However the accounts I give to you today may still be sprinkled with my comedic defense, but more than likely will be more straightforward.

A moment that began my road to clarity was my first incident of profiling by the police. It happened right only mikes from where I was raised, in Denton, Maryland. I had recently bought a used Mercedes SUV that one would classify as a family vehicle. I was taking my friend, (who happened to be white), to get beer or something for the evening. As we got nearer to the establishment the lights flashed and I was pulled over. I pulled over into the library parking lot and shockingly observed the police officer exit his car, gun in hand, flashlight in the other and walk toward the vehicle. My friend, being used to or I guess simply with no thought that he had anything to fear stepped out of the car and told the police officer “hey the liquor stores about to close I’m gonna run over here and get my stuff if you don’t mind.” Leaving me sitting there in the car without witness or support. I called him a few choice names under my breath as I prepared for Lord only knows what was to come. Before even alerting me to the nature of the stop the police officer slowly looked through my vehicle. A glimpse into my side mirror may have helped him realize that I knew he had no right to search the vehicle. Even though there are many accounts of them being violated, thank the Lord for one of the teachers who actually taught us level rights. I was given no warning and no reason for the stop at all. I was not issued a ticket,warning, or a culpable explanation. What I was issued was an awakening, a recognition that no matter who you hung out with, how you smiling, who you think you are, your liberties can be snatched from you ,Even “at home”.

A side note from that story I must say to the young people out here, the side of the road is not the place to try your case. Get it to a court room where at least many more eyes upon you.

My name is, a proud descendant of the hutt and truxon families, born and raised there. Thankful , thru the grace of God, and the constant care of families like the Browns, Rich, Greenage, Nichols, Pinketts, Johnson, Gardner, Fisher to name a few- you’re not here including my name with those murdered at the hands of our corrupted societies and; for lack of a better title, our corrupt societies henchmen that follow its laws and vile exhibition of unbridled power in lockstep. Names like that ranging back well beyond are still bellow from below today. Unfortunately we add names like .... Freddie Grey .. I can’t breath, Eric Garner,Tamar Rice, Michael Brown, Ezell Ford and Michelle Shirley - but dealing with known mental health issues Labuan McDonald.Stephon Clark (his phone was misstaken as a weapon)Bothan Jean and Breyonna Taylor -shot in their own homes,locally Anton black, Ahmad arbury and now George Floyd.

I pray that today I can include your name to the list of families that help keep our people safe and remove systematic barriers that would allow us all to thrive.

Back then I couldn’t understand why all those names felt such a need to give me pieces of “the talk” every day. I couldn’t understand why I was getting these talks if I was doing nothing going to the Hignutts , or the Boyces to play catch. Going to the tennis court to practice with the Richards or the Evan’s. I couldn’t understand what they were so afraid of- until I realized by having my own children that the fear of your child not coming home is bad, but the fear of not coming home simply because they were born of deeper hue was perverse and sickening.

I am so glad that we all are standing here of one accord, but sad to honor a George Floyd post murder. I’m going to keep calling it that so it doesn’t get minimized.

3 parts as I see it to change-

1.Listen with an empathetic mind and heart to the message,and don’t discount it because you can’t relate to the messenger. Start to become aware and comfortable with the confrontation of your blind spots when speaking with us.

I am an athlete thru and thru, and my platform for working with others to this day is to use the training I have in counseling to help others use proven athletic strategies to navigate everyday life, and proven life skills to improve efficacy in sport. I grew up hearing of leaders like Jim Brown, Mohammed Ali, Kareem Abdul jabber, add in Bruce lee as people fighting for equal rights.. no ..human rights all humans. All vilified by the very same groups that attempt to vilify names like Colin kapernik. I have to say this; veterans we are greatly indebted-to you for your service, YOU fought alongside MY ancestors for us to do this, to attempt secure blessings of liberty. There is no more American than a woman or man standing up for his fellow woman or man. There is no greater honor than for a man to ..what????

First commandment - love God, love your neighbor??

On a personal level- when my daughter was in 5th it sixth grade

(Incident surrounding the “straight hair” girls at Christian school )and how these incidious omissions lead to the entitled feeling of one group, and the disenfranchisement of another. I summoned courage - cause what you may realize is it takes courage to bring blind spots to people if they aren’t open to it. I recognize others blind spots only as I am constantly evaluating my own. Miss Sharon brown brought a blind spot of dating preference to me once and took 30 years to realize it and beak with it.

I approached her, this wife of a minister, and someone I hold dear in my heart to this day and attempted to show her how this was the the begins of her child learning privilege.. but even more painfully the beginning of my child not seeing her God given - ancestrally trusses, family traits as beautiful, or even worthy.

Oh it may be easy to admire or speak and say “ mixed babies are the rnost beautiful combination”- well embrace, please embrace the part of them that gets represented wrongfully throughout history, or even immures completely.

1. Be willing to give up your White privilege and point out when others are sticking wanton to that modus operendum, way of operating.

Give YOUR kids the talk on how white privilege stops in your household. How this life isn’t a competitive sport of you against me, how you releasing that hold isnt considered a loss, but a win for all. STOP THINKING THAT BY SUPPORTING SOMKNE ELSES WIN YOU HAVE TO LOSE SOMETHING!

1. Use your voice to strike back at the systems that don’t want us United! Your voice is your vote. Man ain’t nothing scarier than a white woman scorned that has a pen and paper. Well instead of writing that letter to stop lawful cookouts in a park, start writing letters to our ELECTED officials- he’ll start questioning how long our ELECTED officials can even be there.

Not all police officers are bad, but when you turn a fraternal blind eye to crimes being committed by your fellow officers, operating with impunity, you are as criminal as they are and the tyrannical system you represent. I don’t know enough about defunding to say much about it, but I know something has to be done.