It's a struggle, but we will move forward to make a change.

The last thing I read right before I went to bed Friday night was that the accuser in the Emmett Till case fabricated her story. Then, I woke up at 3 AM the next morning, and I was MAD! The thing is, I wasn't mad at the accuser, I was mad at myself. I'm mad because I blocked it out.  I'm mad because after watching I Am Not Your Negro, and realizing that we are still fighting the same battle James Baldwin spoke of decades ago, the battled that took Malcolm, Martin and Medgar from us, I wanted to find a way to cling to the notion that I wasn't alive during "those days." I'm trying to handle the issues that face us "these days." And now, I'm mad for wanting to take the easy way out. A few months ago, I was approached about featuring my latest endeavor, the Health Justice Project, as a part of the Experiment Public Health Challenge. The goal of the Health Justice Project is to illustrate the link between social and racial injustice and negative health outcomes by working with individuals to create digital stories as a means of sharing personal experiences and researching the common link. I created the project, and for 30 days, it was to sit at the forefront of Experiment's Public Health Challenge campaign to raise money in support of innovative approaches to research. Oh, trust and believe, it's a great project-I mean, I'm good at what I do. I uploaded all of the information about the Health Justice Project, the Experiment fund raising campaign was launched... ...and by the 3rd day, I turned my back on the idea of moving the Health Justice Project forward. I walked away from my research. I gave up. Yep, I simply left it there,untouched and abandoned for the next 24 days, not because I didn't want to do it. I gave up on the project because I thought couldn't do it. Simply stated, I am tired. I'm tired of knowing what I know. I'm tired of seeing what I see. In Michigan, they knew the water was contaminated and I saw how those impacted the most by the decision to switch water sources had no power or voice to stop them. I don't question anyone's decision to be pro-life or pro-choice, but you knew only a fraction of the services Planned Parenthood provides are related to abortion. I saw how cutting the services eliminated vital resources for basic health needs to those in need the most. You knew "redlining" was a way to deny Blacks the financial support needed to purchase a home which lead forced to segregation and reinforced the cycle of poverty, and you knew you were bullying trans individuals with this fabricated bathroom issue. ...Just like you knew your fabricated story lead to the death of Emmett Till at the hands of your husband and his half brother. Sandra and Anthony Parker did not raise a quitter. However, that's exactly what I did; I quit. The Health Justice Project was created as a way to personify one of my favorite quotes, not everything we face can be changed, but nothing can be changed unless we face it. I'm facing it, and now I'm mad because honestly, within the nature of my being and who I am, I knew I was going to face it this entire time. I'm finally putting it out there, and sharing information about the Health Justice Project, because I need to be accountable for what I know and what I see. I've created a mechanism to give voice to those that have experienced negative health outcomes due to social and racial injustice. Therefore, I need to be accountable to them. I need your support and if I've convince you that I am not a quitter, I also need to be accountable to you. I have a few weeks to make up for my failed attempt of trying to convince myself I'm a quitter. Updates and the remaining concept information will soon follow, and the Health Justice Project website will launch next week. There's a difference between being tired and being a quitter, and yes, being on my "research grind" is tiresome. I can live with that. Subsequently, I can't live with being a quitter.