Today I just found out a young man I taught off and on throughout high school was shot and killed a year ago. He would be the same age as my daughter. He was a sweet and respectful boy who always talked to me of his plans for the future. His future is over in another episode of senseless violence that surrounds us daily. I am tired of hearing friends speaking of the death of our young. Even as we speak and the days heat up I feel myself readying myself to hear of random acts of violence. I fear for the children because their lives are being snuffed out like flames in the wind. It makes me resolve to do more. Marches don’t change what is happening. We march. They shoot. So what can we do? We can protect. We can open our doors. We can open our eyes. Become a refuge. Talk to our youth even if they don’t want to listen. Make your home a safe haven. Help not only yours but others. So today I will put a sign out and open the doors of HipQuake to the young girls in our neighborhood. We will teach them to dance. We will teach them to love themselves and others. We will help them see that the answer is not violence but love. We will ask nothing but give what we have. Please make a change the survival of our children depends on it…LuuLuu