 JUNE 11 • 2020 | 17

This is one of those instanc-
es where you’
re either on my 
team — the team of all that is 
good and just and right — or 
you’
re not. 
There are no blurry lines, 
and there is no gray area. 
Justice must be demanded. 
I will fully rebuke my sup-
port for any organization or 
acquaintance who does not 
stand on the side of what is 
just and right.
If your biggest outrage in 
all of this is rioting or looting, 
you’
re not paying attention. 
Imagine a teacher in a class-
room. She’
s in the middle 
of her lesson when all of a 
sudden, one of her students 
begins tantrumming. It’
s not 
only inconvenient for the 
teacher, but also feels com-
pletely random and unwar-
ranted. How many times that 
week, or that year, did she 
ignore all the opportunities 
he gave her to listen? How 
many times did she walk 
away from him when he was 
begging to be heard? And 
why? Why did it take a com-
plete outburst in the middle 
of her lesson for her to open 
her eyes to the pain he was 
feeling all along, and that he 
was counting on her to see 
him through? 

RE’
UVEIN RICKMAN, 
FARMINGTON HILLS
There’
s prejudice everywhere. 
What we can do as a com-
munity is look at the preju-
dice within our community 
and try to address it. 
 I know members of my 
congregation teach in the 
inner city and help the kids 
there learn to read and better 
themselves. I was deprived of 
my education. I made it, but it 
was very, very difficult. There 
are so many black children out 
there, and they’
re proud. I’
m 
proud. 
 Help the black community 
in a way where they’
re able to 

help themselves and be proud. 
The Jewish community helped 
me. They helped me be able to 
read from the Torah. I know 
we can help those who can’
t 
help themselves. 
I was walking my dog and 
a policeman pulled beside 
me, slowed down and got 
out of the car. He said, “Nice 
dog.” And I said, “Yeah, thank 
you.” The next thing out of 
his mouth was “do you live 
around here?” 
 I knew why he stopped me. 
He stopped me because I was 
black and he was wondering 
why I was out here in this 
neighborhood and I just felt 
like this never ends. 
When I was living in 
Livonia, there was a gym over 
there where I was training 
clients. I had a client at 5 a.m. 
and I got pulled over every 
morning. Every morning. One 
morning, I said to the officer, 
“Why do you pull me over 
every morning? You know 
who I am. I’
m the only black 
guy who comes over here.” 
He never said anything to 
me. He just ignored me like 
I was nobody. Even today, 
when I take my dog to the 
park in Livonia, I don’
t feel 
comfortable. 
I’
m concerned about the 
police. I’
m getting ready to get 
a body camera. It won’
t save 
my life, but I just feel like I’
m 
a target for some racist police 
officer because there’
s always 
going to be one in the system. 
That won’
t save my life, but I 
just don’
t want the person to 
get away with it. This is how 
I live. I don’
t worry. I’
m not 
afraid. I’
m just sad that I have 
to prepare myself like that. 
Not to save my life but to save 
other lives. 
I feel loved and I know it 
and I’
m not mad. I’
m just 
really saddened by human 
beings taking the lives of other 
human beings. Being black, it 
just hits home more. 

JERRY ZOLYNSKY

Re’
uvein Rickman in his usual seat at Adat Shalom

COURTESY OF ASHIRA SOLOMON

Ashira Solomon and her daughter, Naomi

