Speak Up: By Renee Shepherd-Owens

I don’t know how or where it came from, but somehow it ended up in my wallet. I was about to pay for a purchase and begin to unfold this single bill when I noticed some handwriting on it. It drew me and I paused, decided to keep that one and paid with another bill. I pulled my car over because like I said before I didn’t know at that time what the words on the dollar bill said, it just drew me in. As I looked at it again and read the writing it said JUSTICE 4 SOFIA, I couldn’t give this one away. I got home pulled it out and folded it away as if saving it was saving SOFIA. A week has passed and I was awakened in the middle of the night and wondering did SOFIA get the justice she needed? So I pulled the bill out again to read the words written on one end of the bill JUSTICE 4 SOFIA. I asked myself again did SOFIA get justice; then I noticed the other end of the bill and it stated RIP SOFIA. My face became wet with tears, I hadn’t noticed that end of the writing. I was drawn by the words JUSTICE FOR SOFIA, but deeply sadden to know that possibly SOFIA was no longer with us. What happened to SOFIA, was she raped, missing, abused, or killed it matters. I don’t know who wrote it, I don’t’ know who SOFIA was or is to this person, but it matters. So, at that moment I stopped writing this through my tears and I began to pray for SOFIA and the person that wrote on the dollar bill. I wondered how many besides me touched this dollar bill and never thought about touching SOFIA in thought or prayer she matters. Have we gotten to the point that we have grown numb over seeing so many blacks abused, killed and mistreated? Have we grown numb when we hear of the many women and children in South Africa targeted for raped and murder? Have we grown numb that we see, hear, and even know of injustice in our world, our country, our state, our city but keep silent because it is not happening to us? Well I don’t know who SOFIA is, I don’t know her nationality or background, but I do know that someone felt compelled to speak by writing on this dollar bill; because something happened to SOFIA and it mattered to them. Because this has crossed my path at such a time as this, when we are taking a stand for BLACK LIVES MATTER, someone spoke and is still speaking even if it was just on that dollar bill. We too must speak, we must not be silent, because silence moves nothing not even you. This dollar bill spoke and is still speaking what about you? I believe we can’t do this without GOD. We not only must pray but also move to action. Here is what GOD has to say about injustice..