SPECIAL ISSUE: Say Her Name
Know Justice Know Peace
Kira Allen
“Irregardless of our faiths, our ethnicities, where we are from, together we come in love. Together we come to bury Racism, to bury bigotry, and to resurrect and revive love, compassion and tenderness. We pray that you would bless and empower all of us who are here to reach and to feel the love and to share the love.”
I wish to speak about 101 Calhoun Street
Not because it’s named for John C Calhoun – Who’s racial rhetoric helped to ignite the Civil War
Not even because Charleston is where the first shot of the war’s entrenched hatred was fired
I wish to speak about the sanctuary there, the history, the legacy of Mother Emanuel A.M.E.
How 35 people hanging from nooses n fires burning her to the ground in 1822
Did not stop the rebuilding
How ordinances against the congregation’s faith n earthquakes n the confederate flag
Did not stop the rebuilding
I wish to speak about 199 years of WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED
Wish to speak about 1 little girl, 3 men, 7 women, 4 of them Reverends, 9 of them parents and 9 of them gone
The Charleston 11
Reverend Clementa Pinckney at 41
A State Senator and inspirational Senior Pastor at Mother Emanuel A.M.E.
Husband to Jennifer, father to Eliana and his little grasshopper Malana
Reverend Sharonda Coleman-Singleton at 45
An empowering Speech Therapist and Women’s Track Coach at Goose Creek High School
Alexis’ twin; Christopher, Camryn and Caleb’s mother
Reverend DePayne V. Middleton-Doctor at 49
A respectful Pastor and administrator at Southern Wesleyan University
Gracyn, Kaylin, Hali and Czana’s mother
Ms. Cynthia Graham Hurd at 54
A thoughtful Manager of the Regional Branch of the County Public Library
A devoted wife and sister, who spends 31 years inspiring kids to appreciate books
Ms. Myra Thompson at 59
A delightful Bible Study Teacher at Mother Emanuel
Anthony’s wife, Kevin and Denise’s mother
Ms. Ethel Lee Lance at 70
An incredible Lifelong member and Church Caretaker at Mother Emanuel
A widow, a mother of five and the first cousin of Ms. Susie Jackson
Reverend Dr. Daniel Lee “Super” Simmons Sr. at 74
A spirit-filled Retired Pastor, a Veteran who lives to help other vets and a regular at Bible Study
Husband to Annie, father to Daniel Lee Jr. and Rose Ann and a loving grandfather
Ms. Susie Jackson at 87
A devoted Lifelong fixture at Mother Emanuel, Choir Member, Trustee and the Aunt of Tywanza
A widow too, mother to Walter Jr. and a doting grandmother
Tywanza “Fresh Wanza” Sanders at 26
A self-described Poet n Artist n Business Man
He never got a chance to be a father or apply his newly minted BA in Business to a career
Their massacre won’t diminish the light of love that fills every corner of Mother Emanuel either
Even though they are people with congregations n students n fathers n mothers n sisters and brothers n friends
Missing them It is Wanza’s mother Felicia who lay over her 5-year-old niece n play dead to survive
Imagine listening as the 21-year-old killer reloads five times n spews his justification
” I have to, you rape our women and you’re taking over our country. . .”
The same rationalization leaves more than 10,000 homeless in Tulsa’s “Black Wall Street”
The same murderous explanation annihilates
Emmett Till
n Oscar Grant
n Kathryn Johnston
n Trayvon Martin
n Aiyana Stanley-Jones
n Eric Garner
n Rekia Boyd
n Mike Brown
n Shantel Davis
n Tamir Rice
n Miriam Carey
n Walter Scott
n Tanisha Anderson
n Freddie Gray
and and and
Barack Obama – if they could get to him –
Instead churches burn and Black people from D.C. to Ferguson to L.A. die in effigy
Oh Angela please tell me
How did we go from All Power to the People n Black is beautiful n We Shall Overcome to
#BlackLivesMatter #HandsUpDontShoot #SayHerName #IfIDieInPoliceCustody
Don’t get me wrong I got nothin’ but love for folks standin’ in the gap AGAIN
but when does this shit stop
when do we do more than just survive or fucking die
senselessly
tragically
endlessly
Since when did walking home
or a broken tail light
or a missed signal while changing lanes
become a death sentence
What allows someone to desecrate places of solace and sanctuary with so much hate
Rekia Boyd wants to know
Sandra Bland wants to know
Kindra Chapman wants to know
Hell I wanna know
Mother Emanuel
Mother Emanuel
Mother Emanuel
Mother Emanuel
Mother Emanuel
Mother Emanuel
Mother Emanuel
Mother Emanuel
DO WE EVER ACTUALLY OVERCOME
The Oakland based author, artist, activist, advocate, and facilitator, Kira Allen holds an M.A. in Transformative Arts from John F. Kennedy University, and a B.A. in English/Creative Writing from Mills College. Still, she honors Poetry For the People workshops at Glide Memorial Church in SF as the place where she found her voice and the courage to face her struggles as a single mother, sexual abuse survivor, and recovering addict. Now, Ms. Kira delivers phenomenal workshops and performances combining poetry and art to empower her community www.writethissec.com. Her poetic memoir, Write This Second, was published in April of 2015.