In Wake of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling Police Shootings, Best-Selling Author Readies Third Book

To donate to Kickstarter Campaign R.I.P. RaShawn click here.

The nation’s latest victims of police-involved shootings were 37-year-old Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and 32-year-old Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. Castile, a beloved public school employee, was shot by a police officer during a traffic stop on Wednesday, July 7, 2016. Sterling, a father of five, was tackled to the ground before being shot and killed by officers a day earlier. Both incidents were captured on cell phone cameras and uploaded on social media.

Author-therapist Ronnie Sidney, II, MSW recalls feeling numb after watching the two videos. “I feel so numb thinking about the pain and anguish their families are experiencing right now,” says Sidney, “The pain pushes me to keep publishing children’s books that raise awareness about social justice issues.”

Sidney is the author Tameka’s New Dress and Amazon best-seller Nelson Beats Odds. The transcript for his upcoming book, R.I.P. RaShawn, has been sitting on his laptop since January. R.I.P. RaShawn is tragic story about the extra-judicial killing of a Black teenager. Sidney believes the book is more relevant now than ever.

“The international response to the recent rash of police officer-involved shootings on social media has been overwhelming. People are standing in solidarity all over the country in protest to the extrajudicial killings of Black men in America,” says Sidney.

Celebrities Chris Brown, Beyonce and Jessie Williams publicly responded to the tragic deaths of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling . President Obama said the fatal police shootings were “symptomatic of a broader set of racial disparities that exist in our criminal justice system.”

Sidney is well aware of the racial disparities that exist in the criminal justice system. In 2013, Sidney presented “Liberty and Justice for All? Examining the Untold Trayvon Martin Stories” at Virginia Commonwealth University. The presentation examined nearly a dozen African-American and Hispanic teenagers who died at the hands of vigilantes or police officers. Sidney wasn’t inspired to write R.I.P. RaShawn until the aftermath of Tamir Rice’s death. “I love children, to see one gunned down like that by police officers made me sick to my stomach. I wrote a story that illustrated the emotional pain families experience when their children are killed ” says Sidney.

R.I.P. RaShawn takes place in a fictional city called Bland- the city is named after the late Sandra Bland. A group of local boys who call themselves “Trill Squad” pick a fight with the book’s main character Jeremy. Jeremy is outnumbered and loses the fight. While Jeremy’s mother Mary is grocery shopping, Jeremy steals an airsoft gun. Jeremy carelessly shows off the weapon to Nelson and a shopkeeper calls the police. Meanwhile, Jeremy’s brother is sent to the park to pick up Jeremy and Nelson. RaShawn notices Jeremy has a toy gun and takes it from him. Two police officers pull up aggressively on the curb and things go from bad to worst…

Nelson and Jeremy

Sidney is an Outpatient Therapist and many of the characters in his book series struggle with a mental health disorders or learning disabilities. R.I.P. RaShawn explores PTSD, anger and grief because they are common reactions to traumatic experiences.

“This book will give teenagers a platform to process officer-involved shootings. It’s very important that we help our kids process these experiences because they can be traumatic,” explains Sidney.

A Kickstarter campaign  was recently launched by Sidney to finance  R.I.P. RaShawn. Kickstarter is a crowdfunding website that helps individuals fund creative projects. Sidney’s project goal for R.I.P. RaShawn is only $3,500 and the money will be used to cover illustrations, publishing and promotional costs. In exchange for pledging to the project, backers can gain access to rewards ranging from an autographed paperback copy of R.I.P. RaShawn to an appearance by the author at your community organization, school or corporate event.

Ronnie Sidney, II, MSW and Youth from the Westmoreland Children and Youth Association

Quotes from young African American and Hispanic teens will be littered throughout R.I.P. RaShawn. One of those quotes will be from a 14-year-old high school student from Portsmouth, VA named Lawrence. Below is an excerpt from an essay Lawrence wrote after reading the book’s transcript:

It’s a cold world. Where is the love and peace? It seems like life is on repeat. Dude had a toy gun and they still shot him. It seems like what Dr. King fought for doesn’t even matter, they still want to see our blood splattered. It seems like if we talk, we get a bullet. It makes me think about what to do in life. Do I need to carry a gun?

About: Ronnie Sidney, II, MSW is an author (Nelson Beats The Odds,Tameka’s New Dress), publisher, therapist, app developer (Nelson Beats The Odds Comic Creator), philanthropist and literary activist. Ronnie partnered with his illustrators Imagine That! Design to publish Nelson Beats the Odds and Tameka’s New Dress. For inquiries email us at ronnie@creative-medicine.com or visit http://www.creative-medicine.com.

Children’s Book Offers Hope to Family Coping with Son’s Learning Disability

Click here to order a copy of  Nelson Beats the Odds

Eight-year-old Jayden Nasir Warren is a second grader at Woodmere Elementary School in Eatontown, New Jersey. He loves to dance, sing and play his Xbox One. One of Jayden’s dreams is to play in the NBA like his role model Stephen Curry. Jayden’s parents, LaDena Rawlings and Jeremiah Warren, describe him as a “very compassionate soul.” On Sundays Jayden loves to attend the New Beginnings Agape Christian Center in Freehold, New Jersey where he helps the women’s choir on and off stage and sets up water glasses for the ministerial staff.

In December I received a message from Jayden’s mother via Facebook. I learned that Jayden and I share a similar story. The message read:

I just want to simply say thank you for being you! I’m currently going through the process of having my 7 year old son who is in the 2nd grade tested for a learning disability. I am struggling with the fears of him being labeled, secluded from his classmates & him just being another statistic. I’ve seen him struggle with homework, classwork & especially math/word problems for the past year. I’ve tried what I thought was my best to help him on my own but something is still not clicking. I’m slowly finding myself sinking into depression worried about my baby boy passing the 2nd grade until I read your biography. I have yet to explain to my son that something could be wrong because I’m still not 100% sure of his disability but your book will most definitely help him cope with the situation & understand that he is not alone. I wish I had the money now to purchase it from Amazon but due to my unemployment status I will try my best next week. God bless you & thank you again. Your testimony has truly given me the strength & courage to fight until the battle is won for my son.

In third grade I was referred to a special education program and Ms. Rawlings message deeply resonated with me. The feelings of stigmatization, resentment and disinterest in school inspired me to author and publish Nelson Beats The Odds. I immediately sent the family a free autographed copy of my book. After the family read the book, Ms. Rawlings thanked me and reported that she “cried tears of joy” when Jayden said he wanted to be like the book’s main character, Nelson, when he grew up. Ms. Rawlings admitted that her fiancé was also apprehensive about getting Jayden tested. Mr. Warren began to open up to the idea after several meetings and conferences with Jayden’s teachers. Nelson Beats the Odds also played a factor in the family’s decision to get their son tested for a learning disability. “We decided to proceed with the testing after reading your book. It really encouraged both of us”, said Ms. Rawlings.

Jayden’s test results indicated that he had a condition called Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). According to the SPD Foundation, “SPD is a condition that exists when sensory signals don’t get organized into appropriate responses”. One study found that at least 1 in 20 children are affected by SPD. Neuroscientist Dr. A. Jean Ayres likened the condition to a neurological “traffic jam” because certain parts of the brain are prevented from receiving the information required to interpret sensory information correctly. Mrs. Rawlings says, “We are now working on repeating information to him 3-4 times in different ways in order for it to “click” into his mind.” She says Jayden has a teacher’s aide that sits with him during class and assists him with instruction.

I’d like to thank Jayden and his parents for allowing me to share their story. Nelson Beats The Odds may have inspired you, but your story continuously inspires me. Your testimony has renewed my commitment to put Nelson Beats The Odds in the hands of as many struggling learners as I can. Jayden, I wish you well on your April 24, 2016 baptism at the New Beginnings Agape Christian Center.

For more inspirational stories visit our #iBeatTheOdds Facebook group page. Also please visit our website to purchase a copy of Nelson Beats The Odds and download our free app, mixtape and teacher’s guide.

Every Race Has A Flag But The Coon (Until Now)

While scrolling down my Facebook news feed this morning, I saw two separate photos- one of a white male holding a confederate flag and giving the Nazi salute and the other of a black male holding a Pan-African flag and giving the Black Power salute. The Pan-African flag, also known as the Black Liberation flag, has become a worldwide symbol of liberation for those of African ancestry. The man holding the Pan-African flag was a member of the Black Educators for Justice and they held a rally outside of the South Carolina statehouse on July 19, 2015. Their rally was held in opposition to the Loyal White Knights of the KKK’s rally protesting the removal of the confederate flag from the capitol building.

The age-old debate over whether the confederate flag represents heritage or hate was renewed after a white gunman walked into a South Carolina African Methodist Episcopal Church and gunned down nine worshipers.

  
In Newark, New Jersey on November 30, 1971 there was another divisive flag controversy- one involving the red, black and green Pan-African flag. The New Jersey State Education Commissioner Carl. L. Marburger overruled the Newark Board of Education in 1972, which elected to raise the red, black and green flag in schools with predominantly black student populations. The commissioner found that the display of the “Black Liberation Flag” in certain city schools was contrary to state and federal law and reversed the action.

The resolution was sponsored by Lawrence Hamm, a 17-year-old school board member who sought to raise black awareness in Newark. He was appointed to the school board by Kenneth Gibson, former mayor of Newark, New Jersey. Hamm’s resolution passed in the absence of four of the nine school board members. A December 13, 1971 article published by Time entitled “The Nation: Black Flag” described Hamm’s idea as “naively incendiary” and reported that it had thrown Newark, New Jersey “into mild turmoil”. The article also questioned whether Hamm’s intentions were to “build up black pride or encourage quasi-revolutionary notions”.

The history of the Pan-African flag can be traced back to Richard Allen, founder of the American Methodist Episcopal Church. Allen was a former slave who purchased his freedom for $2,000. He went on to open a day school for black children and maintained his home as a stop on the Underground Railroad.  In 1786, Allen began preaching at the St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Church. Racial tensions began mounting after the number of African American attendees increased to 50. The regular morning services were segregated and Allen became convinced that a separate church for black parishioners was necessary. Allen and his parishioners went on to establish the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the first Methodist church in the United States specifically for those of African ancestry. Allen would travel throughout the United States, including South Carolina, to preach.

Richard Allen is considered by many to be one of the forefathers of Black Nationalism. His work inspired Marcus Mosiah Garvey and Amy Ashwood (later Amy Jaques Garvey) to create the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) on July 20, 1914. I came across the work of Marcus Garvey during my freshman year of college after reading The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey: Africa for the Africans by Amy Jaques Garvey and viewing Marcus Garvey: Look for me in the Whirlwind. I remember being angry because it took me 18 years to learn about him and his achievements. Marcus Garvey was an intellectual visionary whose work influenced Malcolm X, the Nation of Islam and the Rastafarianism movement. Garvey and the UNIA operated an international newspaper and started the Black Star Line so that black people could establish trade between America, Africa and the Caribbean. By August of 1920 the UNIA had over 4,000,000 members!

One of the Marcus Garvey’s most lasting achievements was the creation of the Pan-African flag. The Pan-African flag contains three colors- red, black and green. The red is for the blood that unites all people of African ancestry and the blood that was shed for their liberation. The black represents black people’s existence as a nation and the green represents the abundant natural wealth of Africa.

The flag was adopted in 1920 by members of the UNIA in response to  “Every Race Has a Flag but the Coon,” a popular 1900 coon song. In 1921, the Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey replied to the song in Africa Times and Orient Review:

Show me the race or the nation without a flag, and I will show you a race of people without any pride. Aye! In song and mimicry they have said, “Every race has a flag but the coon.” How true! Aye! But that was said of us four years ago. They can’t say it now….

The spirit behind the Pan-African flag is one of self-determination and self-reliance. The Pan-African flag embodies the legacy of Black Nationalists like Marcus Garvey and Richard Allen and creates an identity for black and brown people throughout the diaspora that extends beyond political boundaries. I don’t view the Black Liberation flag as racist, I see it as a response to racism. Where one flag was created to defend a system of oppression, the other was created to dismantle systems of oppression throughout the world. Dismantling systems of oppression is serious work and will require more than just removing the confederate battle flag from the capitol building. Symbolically it was a historic gesture, but no real progress will be made until we remove the attitudes, opinions and beliefs of racial superiority that go along with the flag. As a country we need to reevaluate how we react to racism and privilege because doing the same thing and expecting different results is insanity. Instead of being reactive, we need to be proactive and respond strategically in ways that improve the quality of life for black and brown people all over the world.