As the 2021 observances of Black History Month come to an end, one resident of Parkview Apartments in Monroe, LA, had somber thoughts and reflections, which she shared in this article. History gives us the opportunity to stop and remember past events that have shaped our lives. Most of us can easily go back to our early childhood upbringing, which was centered on the church. As young children, we knew we had to go to church on Sundays and often during the middle of the week. This was a routine for us. The church provided us with our teachings and foundations for doing right and not doing the wrong things. As we grew into adulthood, we have to wonder what happened to those teachings among some of us. Most of the persons who are in and out of trouble attended church services right along with us. Some of them who have committed crimes such as murder were also in church right along with the rest of us. Unfortunately, most of the perpetrators who committed crimes at Parkview Apartments were in church with us. How will Parkview Apartments and all of its problems be remembered during Black history in the future? We know that we make our own history. As innocent residents, will we be lumped in with criminals who committed crimes at Parkview Apartments? We should be thinking about what we will share with our children. It certainly is not a true reflection to pull up all of the arrest records and share them as Black History records at the place where they grew up. We take our children to church, and we can remind them of the teachings that are provided through the church. There are many Bible verses that emphasize the importance of choosing right over wrong. The church is an institution that we must always refer to in our Black history.

Despite criminal activity that sometimes takes place right before our eyes, we must recognize that law and order set a standard that is taught in church. We must honor those rules, regulations, and laws that are set for our protection. While honoring those laws, we can share from history about people like Harriet Tubman, who paved the way to help free our forefathers from slavery. We can look around our community in the present and see that those people are obeying the laws and respecting one another, sharing positive ideas, and engaging in educational careers that are an important part of Black History and our neighborhood's history.

Most of all, our children must be taught that the criminals who have negatively impacted our lives are not to be remembered as a productive part of our Black history. They represent the wrong that the church tells us we should not follow.

Young people must not repeat those criminal activities of the past because their future is filled with hope, and they can go all the way to the top. They will be able to contribute to making Parkview Apartments a positive place to be remembered in Black history.