JUDEAH REYNOLDS: THE LITTLE GIRL WHO BORE WITNESS TO MURDER in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Nine-year old Judeah Reynolds isn’t old enough to watch a PG-13 movie, but she watched a real-life murder that was more chilling and senseless than anything Hollywood could invent, a scene that took longer than any scene in a Hollywood movie would allow.
On Memorial Day, 2020, Judeah begged her teenaged cousin, “Can you please take me to the store!?” Her cousin agreed to walk her to the store to get some snacks and as the girls came out of the store they saw George Floyd, a black man face-down in the street, handcuffed, piled on by police, begging for his life, telling the officer with his knee in his neck that he can’t breathe. Her cousin held up her phone and went live on Facebook for the world to see. The officer with his knee on George’s neck, glanced at Judeah and her cousin, and seemed to enjoy having an audience to his power.
The officer showed no concern for what these two young black girls were witnessing while being recorded. He continued to press his knee into George Floyd’s neck. He showed his dominance over George by slowly killing him and showed dominance over Judeah and her cousin by killing George as they watched without the police showing care. The girls yelled and pleaded for the officer to get off George’s neck. Other people started to gather around and the crowd grew. Everyone yelled and pleaded for the officer to get off George’s neck and for the other officers to do something to help, but the police did not care and refused to stop. Judeah saw that instead of protecting and helping George as police officers are sworn to do, they ferociously and boldly murdered him.
Finally George was put on a stretcher and into an ambulance; Judeah and her cousin walked back home, but Judeah did not go back to her home, because she and her family are homeless and live in constant hardship and insecurity. They do not have a permanent plce to live and float from family to family or from one motel to the next. They don’t draw attention to themselves and they’ve expected just about nothing from the world that treats them like they’re irrelevant. Judeah, very traumatized cried to her mom, “Mom, they had their knee on his neck and they killed him.”
Moments after Judeah’s cousin went live on Facebook by the morning, the recording went viral; watched over and over again all over the world and the reactions started pouring in. As the questions started, the reporters learned the names of the girls and wanted to interview them. Judeah and her cousin suffering with PTSD; hated by haters, threatened by trolls, and recognized by the World Wide Web, and have had to hide in fear.
Judeah and her cousin’s lives will be scarred and changed forever because they witnessed something so horrific at the hands of police. History will be changed forever because of Judeah’s persistence in asking her cousin to take her to the store that Memorial Day, 2020 to get some snacks at that moment she became the Instrument of Change.
Judeah Reynolds matters! Her journey matters, her story matters, her future matters. HER BLACK LIFE MATTERS! This brave little girl is in the crossroads and the crossfire of history and she and her family need stability, a home and the necessary essentials to be safe. Judeah wants to be heard and she needs to live in a world that values her and nurtures her power. Judeah is brave and she wants to tell her story in a book so others can be brave too when they experience tis hurt and pain.
We are a small team of community volunteers putting out this call to help for Judeah and her family. Your HEALING SUPPORT will provide urgent aid in securing safe housing, and essential and basic needs for the family. We are asking you to help us fund family counseling and mental health support for the entire family. We’re asking for your help in showing this family that there is love in our world. Any and all funds generated though this FunRazor exist solely for the benefit of Judeah's welfare, and this is the ONLY Fundrazor campaign created with the knowledge and consent of Judeah's family. All funds beyond immediate housing, food, and healthcare needs will be placed in trust for Judeah.
May you and your family be BLESSED for your love and support! Thank you!
