Dreams Never Die
Written By: Emmanuella Williams
I remember being 17 and getting dropped off with the rest of the girl's Varsity basketball team near the high school gym . I can't remember who we played but I do remember that we lost...again. I also remember that I didn't have a ride home which meant that I would have to walk. Normally that didn't bother me but we had just gotten back from an away game and it was past 10pm. In the dark, I made my way down W. Dixie Ave as fast as my feet could go without me actually just running... because that would just be weird. I was so scared. The thought of me being accosted by a strange man and violated made me go even faster than I thought I could. Unfortunately, I would be violated that night. Not by a strange man or rapist... but by the Police.
As I reached 125th street, I was excited because I could see the bridge and I knew that meant that I was very close to home. This made me relax. Just as I started to slow my pace, I heard what felt like a million police sirens blare and a helicopter seemed to show up out of no where. This scared me because obviously this meant that a criminal was on the loose and he or she was near me. I was horrified to find out that this criminal was me. Still wearing my basketball uniform and hoodie I was ordered to put my hands up and lay on the ground. I can't tell you how many cars surrounded me at the time because I did not dare raise my head. I was approached by a police officer who told me to stand and I could then see that they had surrounded me and were standing behind their car doors with their guns drawn... oh yeah, helicopter still hovering above. This was like a scene out of a movie, it could not be real. In a second, I tried to think through every possible scenario that could have caused this to happen but I could not figure it out. The officer asked me to pull off my hoodie and show my I.D.. As I handed him my High School badge, I asked him... "Can you please tell me why I was stopped?" He looked at me at said, "you are the wrong person". Still dazed and confused I asked..."but what happened." Just like that he turned cold, he looked in the face and said "Don't ask me any F*&^ing questions and taking your a%$ home." Clearly there was still a criminal out on 125th street but I was forced to walk the next three blocks angry, hurt, and still in danger.
When I got home, my mom had just made it in from church. As soon as I walked in the door, the tears just came rushing down. I told my mom the story and we both cried. We cried because the truth was regardless of how we felt or how wrong this was, there was nothing that we could do. I pretty much never share this story because that day the Sr. Class President, Honor Student, College bound, Athlete was reduced to the same level as a common criminal and I was ashamed. I could have chosen to be mad and stop believing that I can ever do or be anything within this twisted system and tell all of my dreams to R.I.P but instead I decided that as long as I was alive, I would "Never let my dreams die". I went on to get my education and worked for the Sheriff's office (go figure) and have had experiences that have taken me to the place where my children can be part of Dr. Martin Luther King's dream and play with friends of all different races and backgrounds. Don't get me wrong... I am still awake (or woke as the young people say) even though I continue to dream. I know that the current state of our country is alarming but I encourage you to believe and hope that there can be more and better. Continue to believe in Dr.King's dream and in the fact that Dreams Never Die.
As I reached 125th street, I was excited because I could see the bridge and I knew that meant that I was very close to home. This made me relax. Just as I started to slow my pace, I heard what felt like a million police sirens blare and a helicopter seemed to show up out of no where. This scared me because obviously this meant that a criminal was on the loose and he or she was near me. I was horrified to find out that this criminal was me. Still wearing my basketball uniform and hoodie I was ordered to put my hands up and lay on the ground. I can't tell you how many cars surrounded me at the time because I did not dare raise my head. I was approached by a police officer who told me to stand and I could then see that they had surrounded me and were standing behind their car doors with their guns drawn... oh yeah, helicopter still hovering above. This was like a scene out of a movie, it could not be real. In a second, I tried to think through every possible scenario that could have caused this to happen but I could not figure it out. The officer asked me to pull off my hoodie and show my I.D.. As I handed him my High School badge, I asked him... "Can you please tell me why I was stopped?" He looked at me at said, "you are the wrong person". Still dazed and confused I asked..."but what happened." Just like that he turned cold, he looked in the face and said "Don't ask me any F*&^ing questions and taking your a%$ home." Clearly there was still a criminal out on 125th street but I was forced to walk the next three blocks angry, hurt, and still in danger.
When I got home, my mom had just made it in from church. As soon as I walked in the door, the tears just came rushing down. I told my mom the story and we both cried. We cried because the truth was regardless of how we felt or how wrong this was, there was nothing that we could do. I pretty much never share this story because that day the Sr. Class President, Honor Student, College bound, Athlete was reduced to the same level as a common criminal and I was ashamed. I could have chosen to be mad and stop believing that I can ever do or be anything within this twisted system and tell all of my dreams to R.I.P but instead I decided that as long as I was alive, I would "Never let my dreams die". I went on to get my education and worked for the Sheriff's office (go figure) and have had experiences that have taken me to the place where my children can be part of Dr. Martin Luther King's dream and play with friends of all different races and backgrounds. Don't get me wrong... I am still awake (or woke as the young people say) even though I continue to dream. I know that the current state of our country is alarming but I encourage you to believe and hope that there can be more and better. Continue to believe in Dr.King's dream and in the fact that Dreams Never Die.