While I fear for ALL people of color in this country including my family, friends, clients, former students and colleagues, my heart is so heavy for these kids. Pictured above are my parents and their “Lucky 13” grandchildren. Obviously we’re a very diverse bunch. I fear for my niece and nephews who are facing the horror of what’s going on in our country right now. I fear for my brother-in-law who has faced discrimination and brutality in his life. My heart hurts that my sisters and brothers-in-law have to have these difficult conversations with their children. I will never be able to know first-hand what it’s like to be a person of color in this country. But I will do whatever it takes to understand as much as I can and to dismantle racism.

The oldest of the “Lucky 13” is my godson, Marcus. I worry most about him because he’s out in the world on his own now. While I know my sister and brother-in-law have prepared him well for it, I hate to think about what could happen no matter how well-prepared he is.

DR. KING’S DREAM

In 1994 I entered Penn State as a vocal performance major. Much of why I went there was because of this man, Dr. Tony Leach. He’s remained a true mentor and friend and is to this day, one of the biggest inspirations in my life. During my entire time at Penn State, I was a member of the Essence of Joy choir that Dr. Leach created and directed. Our members represented multiple races, religions, and cultures who all came together to perform sacred and secular music from the African and African American choral traditions. While current PSU students still perform in Essence of Joy, those of us who have moved on have had the blessing of being able to perform with the Essence of Joy Alumni Singers. Dr. Leach has since retired and he continues to direct EOJAS.

One of my most memorable experiences with Essence of Joy happened when we were on tour through the south. During our stop in Atlanta we visited Ebenezer Baptist Church where Martin Luther King Jr. grew up and became ordained as a pastor. This is also where his mom, Alberta King, was gunned down and murdered as she played the organ during Sunday services 1974.

During our tour of Ebenezer Baptist, our guide asked who we were and after learning, asked if we’d perform a song. He pulled the ropes away from in front of the piano and invited Dr. Leach to sit down and play. As we began to sing Total Praise by Richard Smallwood, a burst of sunlight shone through the stained glass and there wasn’t a dry eye in the church at the conclusion of the song. The tour guide looked at us through tears and said,

“This…this is Dr. King’s dream. I marched with him. I was jailed with him and I tell you that you are his dream.”

That moment has stuck with me forever. I really can’t put into words the abundance of emotions that went through all of us that day. What I can say now is that I would never have imagined that today we’d be facing a step backward from his dream. My hope is that those who are rioting will recall the peaceful protests and will listen to the words of the incredible activists such as Killer Mike behind the Black Lives Matter movement on how burning our own houses down is not the answer.

WHAT I CAN DO

Black and brown people in this country have had enough and while there is no excuse for the rioting and destruction, it’s time to do more. Here’s what I plan to do to:

• I will recognize white privilege.
• I will engage my daughters in difficult conversations on white privilege and the social issues that people of color like their cousins, uncle, friends, and others face.
• I will vote.
• I will participate in community groups and conversations.
• I will be a white activist for people of color.

While this blog post isn’t photography focused, I feel impelled to write and share it. I’ll conclude with this quote…

“One moment can change a day, one day can change a life, and one life can change the world.” -Buddha

As Always…

Much Love!