My prayers go out to the families and people of Texas who were devastated by the floods that took so many lives. My heart goes out to all those that this tragedy has affected.
July 9, 2025, would have been the fifty-ninth birthday of my cousin Craig. He was killed in February 1985 when he was only eighteen years old. Growing up, we were more like brothers than cousins. I was the oldest, my brother Ken was next, then Craig, and the youngest was my brother Tracy. We were the Four Musketeers. There wasn’t a week when we weren’t at each other’s homes spending the night. Times were hard back then, but they were filled with joy and love as well as many 2 on 2 football games in my grandparents’ yard.
I do not remember when things changed for the Four Musketeers, but My brothers and I went one way, and my cousin Craig chose another path. By the time that Craig wanted to change his life that opportunity was taken away from him by a young man with a gun. This was the harsh reality of Boston during the 1980’s. My brothers and I could probably name at least one person we know who has lost their lives to violence in the city we once called home. We were blessed to survive but we are losing young Black men every day before their time across major cities in America. It is something that is not spoken about enough. It is something that weighs on my heart every time I see a news story, read a paper, or see how the life expectancy of Black men continues to decline. Homicides is one of the leading causes of death for Black men under the age of forty according to the CDC.
My cousin Craig’s story could be a movie. He excelled in football as a running back, and he was a sprinter in track and field. He had a bright future ahead of him, but he made different choices and when he went to change the course of his life that opportunity was robbed from him. His funeral is a fading memory in my mind but the impact of his death on me I can still remember. I was angry for a long time and that anger caused me to make choices in my life that I have come to regret. I was twenty years old when he died and I had a difficult time processing that pain I felt.
The younger me did not honor my cousin, but the me today honors his memory by working to make a difference in the lives of others. The hope is that I can give others a chance to make different choices and improve their lives. I have been given that opportunity every day and it is why I continue to do the work I do.
Craig Shaun White Happy Birthday. We miss you and I will continue to move forward and bring hope to those who get lost.
Charles Redd RN
Dignity Freedom Fighter
Dignity Freedom Fighter 