LEROY TRAVIS JAMES R.I.P
TAKING BACK YOUR NAME
On Wednesday 17th August Leroy Travis James aged 14yrs was taken from this world in tragic circumstances. He is sadly missed by family, friends and all who knew him. His loss has had such a profound effect that words cannot begin to express...
I would appreciate it if you would take time out to read this piece.
I am writing for Leroy James and all of the young people who have been incorrectly labeled and disenfranchised by society. I am writing as a mum who like other mums worry every time her sons go out of the door.
I commend the fathers, like Mr James Senior who love, nurture and support their children. I know there are many of you out there. Its so important...Please read.
I returned to the house with the intention of doing some work having spent an afternoon with a friend. I had just settled down at the computer when the telephone rang; it was my eldest son telling me that one of the boys had been hurt. Waves of panic gathered up and rose from my stomach to the back of my throat. I could feel the start of a scream slowly escaping. My son sensed this and sharply told me “be calm mum, listen”. He quickly followed, “it’s not the boys mum, its Leroy; he’s been stabbed”….. He said “mum we think he’s dead, all the kids are panicking” “can you go and get them?” “The police have arrested one of the boys, he was only trying to calm one of the girls down” “Please mum, can you go and find them now”.
I dropped the phone; realising that I needed to be calm for the kids I made a mental note to hold onto my composure. I threw on my coat and ran out to look for them.
I found the kids across the green at my friend’s house. There they sat in the front room. Pain, worry and Panic in their faces; waiting for an adult, wanting to hear a voice of reason, not knowing what to do.
They told me that Leroy had been stabbed in the park and one of the other boys had been arrested. I will not relate all of the events out of respect to the family. There will be an investigation pending that I would do not wish to prejudice.
Subsequently when we received the call that Leroy had passed away....The boys wept.....Back at the house they were in disbelief, talking and crying intermittently until late into the night. I listened to these young men not interupting. They talked about Leroy, they talked about his father, Mr James Senior and how he cared for his son. They talked about their own fathers who were absent and didn’t support them. They said that if anything happened to them there would be no dad to cry over them.
These were intelligent courageous eloquent young people who were just trying to get on with their lives. They have a right to expect a future. They have a right to live. They were not the hooded gang bangers as reported in the press.
I could feel the enormity and depth of their pain. The constant negative stereotyping had affected their well being. Deeply saddened and all too aware of the prejudiced accusatory perceptions that labelled them all as ignorant illiterate trouble makers. This is just not true, but how do we overcome this.
This was the boy like all the other boys who rode his bike across the green. This was the boy who played football with my sons.This was the boy who had stood in the kitchen that very Monday eating stir fry with my boys. This was the boy.......
Later as I sat in the kitchen, I cried.
I cried for Leroy Travis James, a boy from around the way just like one of my children. I cried for my sons and all of the young people who were just trying to be. I cried for the hurt caused by neglect from absent fathers. I cried because many young people particularly boys feel that they are no one because their dads do not notice them. I cried for their safety and their right to have life, to have a future. I cried for a whole generation of young black boys who have been demonised by the press and wider society. I cried because I am a mum who has tried to teach her boys to be men.
But most of all I cried for Mr James senior who, at that late hour, still stood at the park gates, crying, waiting for his son to come home……...
REST IN PEACE LEROY JAMES
MAY JAHOVAH BLESSINGS BE WITH YOU ALWAYS
