Remembering Donta

I wrote the following article in a youth journal sometime in the spring/summer of 2005.' At the time I was church planting in Washington Village/Pigtown, Southwest Baltimore. I thought it was appropriate to put it on my blog after yesterday's post to show that the violence in Baltimore has affected me personally.

In Memory of Charles "Donta" Parks, 1980 - 2005

Recently God opened the door for me to do some mentoring in our community Middle School. Every Tuesday and Thursday you will find me at the school hanging out with two groups of 6th graders and one group of 8th graders. The staff is shorthanded so I actually come during school hours and take groups of boys out of class to mentor them. Through this outreach I have the opportunity to touch approximately 40 boys a week. We discuss a variety of topics in a group and I always make myself available to minister to the boys out of school or on a one on one basis.

Last week I asked the 6th graders a question, "How many of you have seen someone get shot, stabbed, or killed on your block?" About 80% of them raised their hands. Then I had them share their individual stories. If you had been there, your jaw would have dropped as one after the other began to share the acts of violence they have witnessed many outside their own front door. One sixth grader told us how a man got shot in the back and came to his door asking for help. While they waited for the ambulance to get there the man died right on this young man=s steps. Several of the boys had seen multiple shootings and knifings. One young man even saw his uncle get murdered and the gunman emptying all his bullets into his uncle's body.

The previous Sunday at 2am on May 8, 2005 (Mother's Day) my neighbor's son was stabbed in the neck in a senseless act of violence. That night I was awakened to some noise on the street and when I went to the window I saw Donta on the ground and his cousin yelling "call 911." When I made it downstairs and outside the paramedics were already there and Donta was being placed into the ambulance. There was blood everywhere. It was on the sidewalk, leading up my neighbor's steps, and in a large pool next to my car. So much blood had accumulated it was running down the street. Due to his tremendous loss of blood he was declared brain dead and died May 9, 2005.

So with this incident fresh on my mind and in my heart I decided to talk about what had happened. Several of the kids had heard about it. Some were definitely bothered. But none cried. Unfortunately this is nothing new to these kids. Children in Baltimore have to grow up fast as many of them are exposed to more violence by the time they are 12 than many adults see their whole lives.

The day after Donta’s death there was nothing in the news paper covering the story. No reporters came to interview the family. No news report appeared on TV. Why? Because almost everyday in our city a young black male is murdered. The media and possibly many of you reading this right now are desensitized to the killing that goes on in every American ghetto. I wonder what would happen if I were to come into your community school and meet with a group of six graders and ask them, "How many of you have seen someone get shot, stabbed, or killed on your street?" How many of them would raise their hands? More than likely not many would. Where is the Church of Jesus Christ? Where are those bothered by violence that occurs right here on our soil? Where is the justice for America's Urban Poor? What will you do for these children? Open your ears and eyes to see the poverty, violence, racism, and injustice in America’s Cities. Then in the power of Christ do something about it.

He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor,
will also cry himself and not be answered. (Proverbs 21:13, NASB)