Sepia Prime Woman Digital Magazine October 2013 | Page 16

What Kind of Stand Do You
Take with Your MONEY?
It has been weeks since the verdict regarding
the George Zimmerman trial and many
of us were so upset! The question now is,
what will you do? Many felt that marching
was not how to express what we felt as a
people, because the life of another young
Black man was unjustly taken.
The first thing some of us did was march,
because it worked in the past, although
others believe marching is old fashioned.
Marching is the quickest way to get
attention on an issue. Some attempted to
take a page out of history and follow the
Montgomery Boycott model. This action
was not just about boycotting the bus, but
about the organizing for the long term.
My question is what will YOU do to take a
stand?
I encourage each of you, if you are one who
doesn’t like the crowds at marches, has
problems with those leading the march, or
don’t want to have your political opinions
challenged by someone, then send a check
in support of those you can tolerate. The
leadership will never be perfect and the task
will always be great. If you don’t want to be
visible then send your money where action
is being taken that can help stop the killing
of Black people for no reason other than
they are Black.
Consider the tragic story of Darius
Simmons (Google Darius Simmons for
the full story) who was shot in front of his
mother, because his 76 year old neighbor
thought he stole from him. Video camera
footage shows the neighbor confronting and
shooting Darius.
In spite of what people think, there is no
safe place in America. What happened to
the parents of Trayvon Martin and Darius
could happen to you or a loved one. Don’t
wait until something happens to your loved
one to get your marching shoes or have a
rally. We must be proactive, and strategic
about the things we do. Everybody can help
because everybody can serve.
Remember if you don’t have time to march
or protest, it takes money to fund the
march. If you don’t want to make phone

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calls to organize the rally, send money to
keep the phones on in the office so that
calls can be made to bring awareness and
to those who may want to march. Your
money can help pay for bus transportation
to the march. Remember, even if you don’t
go, when the battle is over you or a family
member will benefit from the work of those
who marched and made calls.
The cost of a membership in most
organizations is little more than what
you would spend eating out with friends.
Let’s invest in organizations that are doing
something with the people and resources
they have. You never know when you may
need their help.
We have to turn things around or they will
get worse. If George Zimmerman can raise
$46,000 in five days from people who felt he
needed to have his day in court, we should
be able to support the organizations that
have fought for us [as Blacks] over the years.
I personally belong to three organizations
and feel that it is my way of helping out.
I hope my money helped pay for a bus so
that others could go. I encourage all of you
again to take out a membership or send a
donation for support.
We can do so much for one another by
showing respect and learning the power of a
smile. I know that there are some problems
that require more action and planning but
we have got to start somewhere. So if you
are mad about what happened to Trayvon
and Darius, do something in their honor.
If you can’t march, attend a