“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
“Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. YOU can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom.”
“It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it.”
Nelson Mandela
The above quotes are all from the great Nelson Mandela. If you have read Dr. Donna Hicks’ book on “Leading with Dignity” you know that President Mandela was the driving force behind the Dignity Model. I choose these quotes because they relate to what happened in Buffalo, NY last weekend and the increased violence in Chicago, Il the last year and a half.
First, my heart goes out to the families and victims of the mass shooting at Tops Friendly Markets in Buffalo, NY. 13 people were shot and 10 were killed as an 18-year-old gunman targeted Blacks. It is difficult to understand why these things happen. What do we say to our children when they ask why? Hate is a difficult concept to explain. It is hard to figure out what drives someone to kill because they are different.
Daily the Chicago Sun-Times posts the homicide rate in the city. As of May 19,2022 there have been 217 homicides which Blacks and Hispanics account for 201 of those homicides and 52 of the 217 are 21 and under Homicides in Chicago: A list of every victim | Chicago Sun-Times (suntimes.com). I chose Chicago as they have the highest homicide rate in the country, but the city represents what we are seeing across the nation in our inner cities. In our cities and towns across the nation the most impoverish areas are seeing high crime rates, high substance use, decreased access to services such as behavioral health, and our young at risk. In the middle of this on going pandemic we have challenges that go much deeper that we much address as a nation.
I became a nurse because I wanted to make a difference. It is what drives me every day. When I hear about what happened in Buffalo, what is going on in our cities, and the increase in overdose deaths It takes its toll on my heart. There are times I want to give up, but I have come to understand that I can not surrender. I renew my strength daily by connecting to my dignity. As I get to know who I was and the person I am becoming it keeps me focused and grounded. It allows me to connect to the dignity of those I meet and to honor and connect to my higher goal of making a difference. My drive and desire are to become a better person, to make a difference in the lives of others, and to help change a culture. As Nelson Mandela said, “It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it.”
I have made many mistakes in my life some I have been able to fix, and some that forgiveness may never come but I work hard to be the best man and father to my children in hopes that they will be better than me. In my experience in health care. I have seen some amazing things. I saw two people filled with hate for each other (Me as a nurse’s aide and a patient who was a skinhead) become friends, I have seen hearts stop and watched as the team brought them back to life. I have held the hands of a patient in her home so that she would not died alone. I have seen people I have led and mentored do great things and I have had people invest in me because they saw something in me, I could not see in myself.
The world is hard and often seems hopeless. But every day I am reminded of the amazing things in life even with all the tragedy. I do not have the answers on how to fix the world but what I do know is this, yesterday is gone and tomorrow is not promised to us but today I will dedicate that time to making a difference. It is all I can do to help create a better world.
My heart goes out to all those who have experienced tragedy. There are no words I can say but know I am thinking about you.
Charles Redd RN
Dignity Freedom Fighter
Dignity Freedom Fighter 