The funeral procession of recently departed Velma Kay Crowe was on the way to the cemetery when they passed Louisiana's Franklinton Junior High School.
Lynn Bienvenu and her sister Johannah were there to honor their cousin. As they passed, they saw this group of teenagers in the midst of a basketball game stop immediately and take a knee to show “respect and honor to the family that lost a loved one and were grieving.” Some of the young men put their head in their hands.
They were moved beyond words.
They stopped the car to take it in. And took this picture.
Wrote Lynn on her Facebook page, “While attending a family funeral the procession passed a group of young men shooting hoops. Take a look closely. They took a knee not out of disrespect but honor. They was not an adult in sight to tell them to stop playing. This meant a great deal to our family.”
Franklinton is in the path of the cemetery, so processions are a regular occurance.
According to neighbors, what these empathetic young men did is also a regular occurance, as they have been taught by teachers and coaches...as well as family and their churches...to honor those in grief as they honor themselves and their ancestors, in a fashion that they feel is right.
So they have been taking a knee.
One young man reached out to Lynn on Facebook to offer his condolences, and when a grateful Lynn asked for the names of his friends, he gave them.
On the court that day was Shimar Davis, Shimon Davis, Edward James, Brandon Burton, Quindon Burris, Stacy Ard, James Bickham, Avant Money, Malachi Martin and Kalarrian Dillon.
I hope that local law enforcement, for obvious reasons, become aware of the quality of these young men before one day making a possible rush to judgement.
Maybe it might make a difference?
I can't help but to think of the seemingly endless examples of those cut down before their time.
It would pain me to no-end to have to take a knee in grief one day in the future, if any of them are harmed due to the color of their skin...as i am for all those that have been...and are.
As Lynn put it, “May God bless each one as I feel they will achieve greatness."
Indeed.
Wednesday, Apr 25, 2018 · 1:02:59 AM +00:00 · Tevye
I thought this comment accurately describes it.
This struck me at first as just a nice story, but then I imagined I was in a funeral procession for someone I loved and that these young men knelt as we passed them by, and then I understood the power of their gesture and what it would mean to someone in that situation. It’s a much nicer world to live in when you feel humanity is with you.