Today we held the funeral for Dillard freshman Marquerite Washington. She is another tragic victim of gun violence in thi city. The following are my remarks from the funeral today.
The Prez
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Part of
my duties is to speak on behalf of the university in all types of situation.
That includes celebrations of life. Most of the time, I have spoken in this
capacity at the service of a well lived alumnus. But what happens when you come
to celebrate the life of an 18 year old in college for just over one month? I struggled
on Tuesday when I thought about what I would say today. My wife tried to
encourage me, reminding me that it will come to me by Saturday; it always does.
She had
shared the news with our pastor’s wife in Little Rock, who was intrigued and
began to try to learn more about Marguerite, and sent an e-mail Tuesday night
with a link to a news story that aired this past July 4th. The title
of the story was “She’s still alive in me.”
There,
on the screen, sitting in this sanctuary, I watched Marguerite Washington and
Cheryl Guillery, a mother of 3 who needed lung transplants. Marguerite’s birth
mom, Umeka Smith, an organ donor, died at 36 due to a stroke. Cheryl received
her lungs, and concluded that Umeka would be alive in her.
That
made me think. It is all of our responsibility to make sure we keep Marguerite
alive in us. Tuesday I attend the launch of the flip the script campaign with
the Mayor and Spike Lee to address black on black crime. The one minute video
shared a series of headlines: Black males earn respect by killing each other,
and black male returns with gun and takes victims life. It was a powerful message.
We all
need to be committed to flipping the script. We must find out what we can do to
stop this violence. We have to stop accepting this as normal. In fact, we need
to have the same kind of concern and outrage with Marguerite’s murder as we did
with Trayvon’s. If we only get mad when George Zimmerman kills, we’re not
serious about making our community better.
But in
the midst of this painful event, I found profound stories of love. I learned
about a 36 year old organ donor who saved two people’s lives with her lungs and
liver. A woman who, out of love, gave her daughter for adoption but maintained
a relationship with her.
I also
learned more about a daughter of Dillard, who adopted a child and raised her as
her own, providing grounding, as well as exposure through church and activities. Margaret, your act of
unconditional love moved me this week. When I learned this back story, I
thought here is a woman who doesn’t just participate in church regularly by
singing in the choir or reading a scripture; she is the church. If we all would
exhibit your example of love, taking responsibility for children that our not
our own in one way or another, we could flip the script.
I better
understand you now. Your e-mail to me after I was on the radio trying to field
tough questions about an issue I just learned about, or the note just thanking
us for coming here to worship; It now all makes sense. And while you grieve, please
know that Marguerite will be alive in all of us. No, I don’t have one of her
organs, but I have this story to share as a reminder of my responsibility, our
responsibility to children that are not ours.
Finally,
take comfort. Your story is a familiar one. I know of a woman who also raised a
child that was not hers. She loved and nurtured him, and he grew up to be a man
who worked to help people. He traveled around doing these good deeds, and even
found others who followed him because of his wondrous works. But one day her
son died violently on a hill I believe they called Calvary, and he was buried, only
to rise on the third day. It’s because of that woman’s son that I know
Marguerite lives with her heavenly father.
And
yes, Marguerite is still alive, in me.
