"It's hard to even go to the store, because I don't know if someone there is the one who did it."
The murder of her son Andre--an innocent victim to rising street violence--continues to plague Ebony five years after it happened. I first met her in 2017 when she shared about this shooting tragedy one year after it occurred:
Today, the murder case is still unsolved, so suspicion and suspense linger. This combined with grief make life incredibly difficult.
"Some days it's hard to get out of bed," she said. "Even just to brush your teeth. You may forget to pay your bills."
A local mother's support group--specifically created for those who've lost children in similar ways--helps Ebony immensely, she explained.
"There's always a new mom," Ebony said of the increased need for this group.
But her granddaughter--the child of her late son? Now six, Drea only has pictures to serve as memories of her time with her daddy.
This week, we release this follow-up story with Ebony (and little Drea) on The Periphery YouTube.
It offers a window into the issue of rising violence on the streets.
It offers a window into the flickering spirit of a woman trying to proceed with life after being affected so tragically by this violence.
Also, I made by second-ever Tiktok video previewing this story. I know. I didn't think I'd ever be a Tiktoker, either. But the darn video has gotten about 1400 views in just over a day.
Such a sad story... Damn! 😐
Yes, it is. And it's shockingly normal in the inner-city. This family alone has suffered many deaths of family members and other relatives. I'm not sure what to do about it, but it's important to at least know about it--and for Ebony, to get her story and voice heard.
Just released the full video:
And here's the full video: