Our stories are all phases and small scenes, sort of like clips from movies. Though our life journey we receive different metaphors of life's twists and turns. I believe that when it is all said and done all that we have as a guide through our many twists and turns is God, our faith and the directions that he give to us all. This project will empower women of color to share their stories with one another without judgment.
We must continue to share our stories to heal those who are suffering and cannot seem to find relief. One of my prayers that I pray every day is that God will break down the walls that stand between women of color and then together we will heal one another through our stories, strength and faith.
I give to each and every one of you who will read my words the breath of life that God has given me. I was instructed to share my story of empowerment as the purpose of my life was revealed through a storm.
What is your purpose story?
"Purpose revealed through a storm"
On Aug. 27, 2005, I got dressed for work. I put on my sky blue vest, my navy blue dress paints, a patched sky blue uniform shirt, a one pound duty belt and my black running shoes. I went to work that day as a New Orleans Police Officer. I did not know that there was a designed plan already set in place for me by the Creator of all things. This plan was to be revealed o me after five years of service to my City.
On Aug. 28, 2005 at or around 5:45am, I was awakened from a nap by my superiors via a dispatch radio signal. My God what was going on I wondered. The levees had broken! I went to God like never before in all of my thirty-two years. I got up put my heart in the right place and focused my mine. These are God's people and then my people I will do the best that I can. I was prepared to give my life for God's people and for my City. In mind head I prayed all day countless hours it felt like praying became my work shift. I felt like it was the end of the world.
On Aug.29, 2005, collectively the New Orleans Police started their rescue mission after two days of holding our City down and protecting the property and life of our people. We worked all night and all day around the clock going from the New Orleans High rise; (this is the bridge that connects the eastern part of New Orleans to the Inner City festivities) to the Mark Morial Convention Center. I'd worked as a security guard inside the Convention Center in the past; I knew that they were not prepared for what they were about to experience. I knew that many more citizens would be taking up camp. I knew this because I saw the mass of citizens on the bridge, I seen the water that had come in from the breech of the levees. This water surrounded the New Orleans Superdome as well as the outskirts of the inner City. The people came in multitudes to seek help there was no land in sight. I saw that this had turned into a major fight for life.
On Aug.30, 2005, after working countless hours in what seems like a never-ending night mare, we still were not done. By the time morning arrived everything that I had envisioned was just a vision of how things would be. It was worst! There were over 1, 0000 citizens who had gathered together at the Morial Convention Center to seek refuge. My heart was filled with guilt. My mind began to pay tricks on me. What have we done? Why weren't we ready? Why has no one come to help us?
On Aug. 31, 2005-4th day we realized as Officers on the front line, that it was now time for us to take care of ourselves, the system had failed to come through for us, so it seemed at the time. On this day the police district that I was assigned to flooded, which we then had no place to house ourselves and our means to survive. Those days were long and hot and we begin to seek refuge for ourselves to protect ourselves. We created a make ship camp in the parking lot of Wal-Mart located on Tchoupitoulas Street, near the Morial Convention Center. We armed ourselves heavily, we did this to protect ourselves and our salvaged personal items form looters as and disgruntled citizens. Some of us even had to house our family members and pets at this camp. That was my new home and duty post. We worked countless hours, when we were off we were working looking for our families and fighting to keep our sanity.
On Sept. 1, 2005-A young woman walked up to my squad car holding a young baby boy who appeared to be about 6-7months in age. The baby was an albino baby, so he needed less sun and more water. The baby was limp in this young woman's arm. She asked my partner and I for a ride to the Superdome where she had just walked miles from. She needed to go back and seek medical assistance for her baby. I could not help her. We were advised by our superiors that we could not transport anyone in our cars, due to how great the need was for people to be rescued. I felt like I was in the movie "Hotel Rwanda". I searched my mind and my heart, I even went deeper a searched my soul that day. A squad car sit behind ours, in that car were two of my Superiors. I looked up at the young lady will my tear dukes full and as a humanitarian I had to tell her that I could not put her in my car. I gave her the juice that I was drinking, the water that I had for me and my partner and I told her to go back up the bridge and walk as slow as she could and I'd sneak and come. When she walked away the tears fell from my eyes like water running from a stream. My partner and I pulled off we got a call of shots being fired and we had to answer the call, we were back up. When we arrived on the séance there were indeed shots being fired by a young man who had stolen a milk truck to drive his family out of the disaster and was caught by police. This lasted all day…call after call. I never got a chance to get back to see about the lady and her young baby boy. I felt guilty all over again. I broke my promise. My job was no longer fun, the people were gone.
Sept. 29, 2005-I reigned from the Police Department this was the day that my Commander in Chief also resigned. What will I do now….God I need your help. I returned to School to pursue a Master's degree in the field of Social Work and I finished May of 2007. I was educated in a make ship College Campus that was set up with trailers by FEMA, as our only black university in the city of New Orleans remained closed. I have got to press on. When the people come back they will have a lot of issues to unscramble, so I kept going for God's people, my people, my City and I remembered our culture to serve our neighbors. How would I do that I asked the God. I'll show you. I became a member of NOLA Playback Theater Company in 2006; I started my own organization called SAFREE, INC. in 2007. I started "A NU US" movement in 2008. Today I come before you as a humbled servant to the people of the God.
Whenever I share my story I am reminded of two recent quotes by a friend of mine "Mr.' Al Mead" who is one of the fast Paralympics in the world and has won a gold medal and made it to the Hall of Fame.
"A setback, is A set up, for A comeback"
"Your past is not a place of residence but rather designed to be a place of reference"
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