Today it is Charleston, SC, but in the last several months it has been Ferguson, Cleveland, Staten Island and so many others. There is a constant barrage of images that continue to devalue the African American community.
In response to hate crimes, social and civil injustice and outright killings of unarmed young men, Brian Courtney Wilson wanted a way to bring people together to share visual messages for our community and our young people that WE are valuable, treasured and worth fighting for.
The multi-media #WEAreWorthFightingFor initiative encourages parents, community leaders and pastors to write letters and video messages to post on social media that will offer expressions of our strength and unity.
With the goal of creating an overwhelming show of messages of love and empowerment, #WEAreWorthFightingFor is a way to emphasize our importance and value despite the negative images and stories that are proliferating the news in recent days.
In the wake of recent events, Brian’s feelings have run the gamut from frustration to anger and to fear for his children’s welfare. He wanted to create a physical reminder that could be lasting and treasured so he sat down and wrote a letter. Here’s an excerpt to Brian’s letter to his son, Joshua:
I am writing this letter because I love you dearly, and you are so valuable and special to me. There has been a lot of news lately about young black males being gunned down or killed by people in authority or people who were afraid of them because of the color of their skin. … The explanations for these murders defy logic….Given this climate, I am writing to affirm your worth not only to me but to the entire world … You are destined to be a champion and a leader, and I want you to shut out all of the images that have been crafted for profit and power that contradict what I am telling you… Yes there will be pain, but it will not defeat you. You will keep pushing past it and it will make you stronger.
“This moment of transparency and honesty was needed not only for my children, but for many across the nation,” said Wilson.
Join the #WeAreWorthFightingFor campaign sending messages to our young men and women. Please write a letter and/or record a brief video message to your child, or any young person in your life (i.e. a nephew, a mentee, a sister, etc.) that offers words of support, love and empowerment.
We will be kicking off the campaign on Father’s Day (June 21st) and I encourage you to share the letter or video on your social networks using the hashtag #WeAreWorthFightingFor #WorthFightingFor.
