Young, Gifted, Black and Dead!!!

A picture is worth a thousand words...







These photographs were all taken in 2006 at various sidewalk makeshift memorials, prayer vigils, wakes, funerals, and burials in the city of Philadelphia. The deceased were all young African Americans murdered by fellow African Americans. This is not a Philadelphia problem. Black on black violence is a national problem. It's my problem. It's your problem. It's our problem. When will we solve it? The statistics are alarming; according to a 2005 Justice Department report blacks, who make up 13% of the US population, accounted for 50% of the nations murder victims, 93% of these victims were killed by fellow African Americans.

Young, Gifted, Black and Dead!!!: Previous Posts

Young, Gifted, Black and Dead!!!

The recent murder of a friend has prompted me to highlight the deaths of other young African Americans at the hands of young African Americans. Black on black crime is plaguing communities of color all across the country. Over the past few weeks, I've highlighted the deaths of youth in New York City, Rochester, NY, St. Louis and Philadelphia.
Today, I googled the words 'black teen killed' and came across the story of a 15 year old Chicago girl killed over the Memorial Day Weekend. 15 year old Sharkeila Taylor was celebrating Memorial Weekend on the South Side of Chicago with family and friends,she had recently moved to Gary, Indiana. As the holiday weekend was coming to a end, Sharkeila was hanging with friends, enjoying the warm weather and celebrating the start of summer. Around 11 p.m a hail of bullets flew through the air. Once the sound of gunshots faded, 15 year Sharkelia Taylor would be found laying on the sidewalk with a bullet in her back. Latisha Coleman, who lives near the scene, heard the gunfire. "I walked over there and saw the little girl...it was terrible. She was holding my hand and I was talking to her, saying, 'Stay with me, stay with me...then the little girl took two whole breaths and let go of my hand. I said, 'She's gone. She's dead.'" Three separate shootings that night within a 2 1/2 mile radius left Taylor and a 27 year old male dead and four others wounded. Sharkeila was the youngest victim. Lakita Childs, a South Side resident, spoke of the violence in the area, "most people don't even want to come outside, they're too scared. I don't even want to bring a baby into this world, because I'm afraid if I have a baby they'll get killed like the rest of these kids." Sharkeila, nicknamed "Mz. Dora", was remembered by classmates as life-loving girl who looked out for others and valued friendship. Some friends affectionately called her "Ma," she possessed a protective persona that made her maternal. Yet, she was also childlike, evidenced by her nickname taken from the cartoon "Dora The Explorer."
At a prayer vigil, Rev. Jesse Jackson said "there are too many funerals and not enough future, too many memorials and not enough ending the madness."

Young, Gifted, Black and Dead!!!

Hours after thousands of black men took to the streets of St. Louis for a "Call For Oneness," a march to end black on black violence, 16 year old Shirlene Williams was gunned down outside a gas station. Shirlene, a high school freshman, and a 21 year old cousin stopped at BP gas station when shots rang out. Both Shirlene and her cousin were shot in the head. Her cousin remains listed in critical condition. Speaking of his sister, Antwawn McGee said "she was good...always used to say that she'd be the first one of going to college and be somebody."

Young, Gifted, Black and Dead!!!

The Rev. Al Sharpton is organizing a community summit to address black on black violence after Harlem was rocked by a series of shootings over Memorial Day weekend. Over the holiday weekend, four gun battles broke out in a 3 hour period wounding 10 people. A 15 year male was shot dead after a house party. "Shootings and violence within our community by one of our own is an outrage and an issue that we must confront as diligently and as passionately as a sensational case of police misconduct or brutality." The " Summit on Violence" will be held within the month and will include community leaders, young people, law enforcement, clergy, businessmen and elected officials. The goal of the summit is to address three critical areas: improving relationships between the police and black community, better dialogue with black youth, and new JOBS.

On Sunday,Thousands of blacks, in particular black males, took to the streets of St. Louis during an unity march. An estimated 50,000 people sick and tired of black on black violence marched through a historically black neighborhood. The march is apart of an anti violence campaign, "A Call To Oneness," organized by black clergy, businessmen and community leaders along with civic, public and private institutions. "When you are one of the cities which leads the nation in homicides, you don't have many options in terms of thinking about doing something," said the event coordinator, the Rev. Freddy James Clark. "When we march through north St. Louis, we hope to create a moral climate. We hope to reclaim, through the vehicle of reconciliation, respect for the other and sanctity of life." "We've only just begun to live

White lace and promises

A kiss for luck and we're on our way

Before the rising sun we fly

So many roads to choose

We start our walking and learn to run

Sharing horizons that are new to us

Watching the signs along the way

Talking it over just the two of us

Working together day to day

Together And when the evening comes we smile

So much of life ahead

We'll find a place where there's room to grow

And yes we've just begun

Sharing horizons that are new to us

Watching the signs along the way

Talking it over just the two of us

Working together day to day

Together And when the evening comes we smile

So much of life ahead

We'll find a place where there's room to grow

And yes we've just begun."

Curtis Mayfield "We've Only Just Begun"

Young, Gifted, Black and Dead!!!

A picture is worth a thousand words...

"Mercy, mercy me...things ain't what they used to be...where did all the blue skies go...poison is the wind that blows from the north and south..."

"When I look at the world it fills me with sorrow...little children today are really gonna suffer tomorrow..."

"God is my friend..Jesus is my friend...He made this world for us to live in, and gave us everything...and all he asks of us is we give each other love..."

"And He'll forgive all our sins...forgive all our sins...and all He asks of us, is we give each other love..."

"Make me wanna holler..the way they do my life...this ain't livin',...this ain't livin'..."

"Mother, Mother...there's too many of you crying...Brother, Brother, Brother...there's far too many of you dying..."

"You know we've got to find a way...to bring some lovin' here today..."

These photographs were all taken in 2006 at various sidewalk makeshift memorials, prayer vigils, wakes, funerals, and burials in the city of Philadelphia. The deceased were all young African Americans murdered by fellow African Americans. This is not a Philadelphia problem. Black on black violence is a national problem. It's my problem. It's your problem. It's our problem. When will we solve it? The statistics are alarming; according to a 2005 Justice Department report blacks, who make up 13% of the US population, accounted for 50% of the nations murder victims, 93% of these victims were killed by fellow African Americans.

Young, Gifted, Black and Dead!!!

A picture is worth a thousand words...



























These photographs were all taken in 2006 at various sidewalk makeshift memorials, prayer vigils, wakes, funerals, and burials in the city of Philadelphia. The deceased were all young African Americans murdered by fellow African Americans. This is not a Philadelphia problem. Black on black violence is a national problem. It's my problem. It's your problem. It's our problem. When will we solve it? The statistics are alarming; according to a 2005 Justice Department report blacks, who make up 13% of the US population, accounted for 50% of the nations murder victims, 93% of these victims were killed by fellow African Americans.

Young, Gifted, Black and Dead!!!

The headline in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle read "Rochester streets devour another teen." 16 year old Daniel Davis was gunned down in Rochester, NY on May 12. Davis was killed blocks away from where two African American teens, Brent Coley and D'Marri Shaw, were killed in February. Davis was described by family and friends as a "good kid" who was beginning to head down the wrong path. Police have very little information about the circumstances surrounding his death. No arrest have been made.

Brent Coley and D'Marri, both 15, were found, on the night of February 19, dying blocks apart after they were shot inside a house where drugs were being sold. Rochester Police Chief David Moore said the deaths were results of the teens' "high-risk lifestyle." Family of the victims described the boys as typical teens who were victims of a senseless crimes. Brent Coley is remembered as an energetic kid who loved playing football and hanging out with his friends. Da'Marri loved music, basketball and spending time with his seven siblings. In the words of Pastor Marlowe Washington, who spoke at Coley's funeral, "I cannot get immune to this...I'm sick and tired...of being sick and tired. I'm just sick of being sick."

"....If your mind could really see

You'd know your color is the same as me

Pardon me brother as you stand in your glory

I know you won't mind if I tell the whole story

Get yourself together, learn to know your sign

Shall we commit genocide before we check out our mind

I know we've all got problems that's why I'm here to say

Keep peace with me and I with you

Let me love in my own way

Now I know we got great respect for the sister and mother

It's even better yet

But there's the joker in the street loving one brother and killing the other

When the time comes and we are really free

There'll be no brothers left you see....."

"We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue" -Curtis Mayfield

Young, Gifted, Black and DEAD!!!

I've decided to highlight the deaths of innocent young African Americans at the hands of other African Americans. Black on black crime is destroying communities of color across the country. A day after 15 year old Brandon Bethea was killed, 16 year old Tyreece Johnson was killed by a bullet to the head in the Far Rockaway section of Queens, NY. Ironically, Tyreece, the son of an entrepreneur and corrections officer, was shot as he was walking into a bodega on Monday afternoon, the day before FIVE people were shot on the same block, hours after Brandon Bethea was killed. Like Brandon, Tyreece no longer lived in the Far Rockaway neighborhood, he was sent to live with an aunt in North Carolina because of the violence that plagues Far Rockaway. Two black teens killed in less than 48 hours in the same neighborhood. When will it end?

Young, Gifted, Black and DEAD!!!

On May 1, a friend of mine passed away. 22 year old Tyshawn Bierria died after being taken off of life support as a result of being stabbed several times outside his upstate NY college campus. Ty was set to graduate this month. Tyshawn's untimely death illustrates a DISEASE plaguing black communities across the country; black on black violence. One black male with a promising future killed and one black male on his way to prison.According to federal crime stats, homicide is the leading cause of death among African-American males aged 15 to 34. They also indicate that between 1976 and 2004, 94 % of black murder victims were killed by black offenders.

Why isn't Black America outraged? We march and protest when the police kill us but black men are more likely to be killed by other black men than they are to be killed by police. It should come as no surprise that law enforcement can shoot a black man dead, WE don't respect OURSELVES, how can we expect anyone to respect us?

Social activists, clergy,community leaders, public officials, and the hip-hop community need to take a stand. Truth be told, WE ALL NEED TO TAKE A STAND!!!!

In light of Ty's death I've decided to highlight the deaths of young blacks across the country. I was saddened by the death of a 15 year old Queens girl. Brandon Bethea was hanging out in the Redfern Housing Projects in Far Rockaway, Queens when she was the innocent victim of gunfire. Her family had recently moved out of the Redfern projects, ironically Brandon became a victim of the violence her family sought to escape. An aspiring dancer, Brandon was set to graduate from junior high school next month and was looking forward to attending high school in the fall. Less than 2 hours after she was shot the sound of bullets rang out again just 4 blocks away resulting in five people being taken to the hospital. This 15 year old didn't deserve to die. More should be done than just candle light vigils and having Brandons' face emblazoned on t-shirts. A large majority of black America has rallied behind the Obama campaign, I think it is safe to say that we are capable of supporting a new campaign, a campaign to save the lives our of mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers and to stop black on black violence.