by James B. Ewers Jr. Ed.D.
It’s no exaggeration to say that we are living in some challenging time. Sometimes without knowing it, peril awaits us. Whether you are young or old now, we have all heard the words “be careful” when we left home.
There is nothing strange about parents telling their sons to take precautions. What are some of those precautions and safeguards?
Here are a few of them. Call me when you get there. Take your cell phone with you. Come straight home. Park in a safe location. Don’t roll your car windows down. Be aware of your surroundings. Don’t stay too long. We have heard these expressions more than once.
These are all caring reminders that not only parents have used but other family members and friends as well. These expressions should be welcomed by those who receive them because the times are quite different today. This is my opinion.
Way too much happens in the United States of America today so we can’t drop our guard. Things happen quickly and too often the results can be life changing. To paraphrase an often-used expression, when other people catch a cold, Black people get the flu. That’s the truth and we can’t escape from it. Whether we like it or not, that’s our everyday reality in this nation.
Like you, I pay attention to the news as we need to know what’s happening around us. Social justice is an area of daily concern for African Americans. It doesn’t matter if it happens in your state or my state. I still believe in the adage that what happens to one of us affects all of us.
Over the years, tragedies have occurred in our communities that have resulted in unspeakable pain for the families involved. Some of these events have shattered the hopes and dreams of young Black people.
When Nolan Wells left his Mississippi home on July 4th, I am sure his parents told him to be careful and to be safe. His parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, could not imagine in any scenario that they wouldn’t see their son alive again. That is too gut-wrenching to conceive, yet that is what happened.
The circumstances surrounding the death of Nolan Wells are suspicious and cloaked in cover-up. The truth has been put aside for silence and the evidence has disappeared.
Just recently, a Mississippi grand jury found no evidence to bring indictments against anyone. The message from Mississippi officials is that Nolan Wells drowned on July 4th. He was with some other teens, yet they did not offer any substantive information.
According to reports, the state autopsy for Nolan Wells omitted an important part. Dr. Priya Banerjee, a board-certified forensic pathologist said, “The pathologist did not check the sphenoid sinus. It’s not even mentioned.” The People Magazine story says, “Those sinuses explains Banerjee, are at the base of the skull and don’t typically have fluid in them but in suspected drowning cases, they can, just like the stomach, lungs and airways.”
Renowned Civil Rights attorney, Benjamin Crump is representing the Wells family. Days ago, he released data from Wells’ cellphone. The information released suggests that the area (Horn Island) can be racist and therefore unwelcoming. In a statement, Mr. Crump said the state of Mississippi is attempting to close the chapter on Wells’ death without getting to the truth.
The absence of transparency in the Nolan Wells case in my opinion is apparent. Withholding facts and creating smokescreens only exacerbates the enduring pain felt by his family and friends.
The lips of those who know the truth are sealed tight and not one word will be uttered. Yet I firmly believe that the truth will come out. Those hiding it will suffer until the shackles of injustice they wear come off. You see, evil will never have a resting place.
James B. Ewers Jr. Ed.D.
Member, National Association of Black Journalists
HBCU Living Legend