struggling to push his
car.
She says when
she heard the man
struggling, she didn’t
see a black man; she
saw a man who was
struggling with his
car. This man was a
Veteran who had lost
an eye and a leg in
Desert Storm. Kayla
stated he didn’t want
her to help push the
car. She extended
help to him and the
man stated that he
only needed $6 to get
downtown. He was on
his way to the Historic
church as well. Kayla
further mentioned that
she went along with
it like she was only
going to give him $6
but ended up doing
much more than that.
Kayla gave the young
man enough gas to
get there and to also
make it back home!
They hugged and then
departed.
Kayla stated that as
she got back into her
car, her boys wanted to
know about the man
she just interacted
with. “Kids don’t see
color,” Kayla stated.
“And I don’t know at
what age that changes,
but I’m just glad they
don’t.” Kayla has
adopted two of her
boys, one of which is
bi-racial. She explained
that color doesn’t and
shouldn’t matter.
While speaking with
Kayla and listening
to her explain her
experience while at
the church, her voice
broke. She explained
how those 9 victims
had impacted her life
greatly - simply because
they took in a stranger
in love. “I honestly
felt like those victims
will never know their
impact on the city
and on my life as an
individual. This was
a sacred environment
where they were
coming together as
people who loved and
trusted each other
and they welcomed
in a stranger, because
that is what we are
supposed to do. What
he did, could make
people be afraid to
welcome in strangers,
but he failed . . . all we
want to do is welcome
in strangers and to
show love.”
Kayla has
continuously
been receiving
acknowledgements and
feedback from different
people regarding the
act of love she has
shown, in spite of the
tragedy we have faced!
We will continue
to remember the lives
that were lost . . . Rev.
Clementa Pinckney,
Ethel Lance, Rev.
Sharonda ColemanSingleton, Myra
Thompson, Rev.
Daniel Simmons, Rev.
Depayne Middleton,
Cynthia Hurd, Susie
Jackson, and Tywanza
Sanders.
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