I have to admit, I have not been watching the Zimmerman trial. Not because the trial is not important, but because I have little faith this country will convict a white-ish man for killing a Black child. But I digress…

But when I heard all the commotion around the prosecution star witness, Rachel Jeantel, I had to see what all the fuss was about. I’ve heard whites comment on her weight, attitude and grammar. I’ve heard Blacks comment that she was an embarrassment to us as a community.

If there is any embarrassment, we all can share the blame.  Yes, Rachel might be at fault for not knowing how to read and being a 19 year old high school senior. Yes, Rachel’s parents might be at fault for not doing more to make sure she was getting the most out of her education. Yes, the system might be at fault for passing her throughout the years when it seems pretty obvious to me that she has difficulty reading. (Yes, these faults are assumptions – the point is that there are a lot of people who played a hand in not ensuring Rachel is prepared to join the workforce.)

But, on top of the systems and people who usually get the blame when people are ill prepared to leave high school, we – her community – are also at fault. How many of us actively volunteer? Most of us are more than willing to extend a helping hand to our family and friends, but how many of us regularly reach out to strangers?

Here in Detroit, illiteracy is in the 47% range and I am willing to bet we are not alone. There is a long list of people waiting for a tutor. If tutoring is not your strength or issue; Big Brothers Big Sisters is always looking for mentors. We need to stand up in our community and stop waiting for the government; the Black community is obviously not a priority. We need to stop with the marches and the talking and move into action.

As John Bunyan said, “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.”

http://www.volunteermatch.org/

http://www.unitedway.org/take-action/volunteer

http://www.bbbs.org/site/c.9iILI3NGKhK6F/b.5962345/k.E123/Volunteer_to_start_something.htm