See Something, Say Something: Why Silence is no longer Golden.

How many of us in the Black Community have heard the phrase, “What happens in this house stays in this house 🏡?”

How many have heard the term, “Snitches get Stitches?” 🤕

How many of you know that these sayings have crippled our community, and caused much more harm than good? 

Just the other night, I awoke to the sound of something banging against my front door- it was a young woman! She was being violently slammed and pounded into my door by this young man! He was yelling, and screaming insults at her. He was throwing her clothes and shoes at her. He all but threw her down the stairs! His family-while they tried to talk to him, did much of nothing about the way he was treating this young lady. The worst part of all there were kids present for the entire ordeal!

So what did I DO? I said something! I opened my door, I made sure she was ok, I asked if I could help get the kids out of the situation, and when things begin to escalate even more I called the police! Yes, I said it!! I called the PO-PO’s! 

Now some of you will say, “what does that have to do with you? Why would you get involved?” “Why not just close the door?” 

Here’s why: 

     1. I am a woman! -I can’t just stand by and allow another woman to suffer at the expense of someone else’s brokenness.

2. I am my Sister’s Keeper! – I’m a Global Citizen. This means that I am a member of this world, and I cannot turn a blind eye to the suffering of my sister nor brother-near or far!

3. I am a Mother!- The little girls involved in this situation could have been mine! They could be my daughters best friends. They could be the future spouses of my nephews or friends. Most importantly, they WILL be future citizens of this world 🌎

Do you want the future leaders of this Earth we share to grow up as broken members of our community? Do you want these children to grow up with the hurt and pain that they experienced on this day? Do you want them to produce the same brokenness and shame that they witnessed because of what YOU didn’t say?

SAY SOMETHING 

• See Something, Say Something! Silence is no longer golden! We can’t afford to stand by and just let our community crumble! Speak Up! Make your Voice known! Take a stance for what is right, and say something when it’s wrong! Hey, if Permit Patty and BBQ Betty can do it, why can’t we?

DO SOMETHING

• Know Something, Do Something! Sometimes what happens in this house, needs to go outside of this house! For decades we have been afraid to share our truths- not telling when Uncle John touched us, or when Aunt Susie didn’t feed us, or when Grandma Betty beat us, or when Daddy left us! These same secrets even prevent us from sharing our health concerns with our own doctors, our own families, and friends- are the same secrets that destroy us today! If you know Granny had diabetes, let the family know- because when Cousin Ashley develops a high risk pregnancy and threatens to miscarry, maybe it will help her understand why! If you know Uncle Dave lived at home all his life because of a developmental delay in social skills, let the family know-because when Little David is acting out in class because he doesn’t know how to make new friends, maybe his mom will understand why! 

What I’m saying is our community is now threatened and plagued with the brokenness of our past because we simply didn’t SAY anything. It’s time we use our voice to rebuild the house that all of our secrets stayed in. Don’t just stand by and do nothing- BE AN UPSTANDER and Do something about it! 

If you See Something, Say Something! If you KNOW something, DO something! Choose2Believe in something greater than you- The future of Our World! 

With Hope and Love,

S. Latimore 😘

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