WCW: Valerie Castile
Gun violence in this country accounts for thousands of deaths a year. My family is no exception and 9 times out of 10 I bet those reading this have experienced or know someone who has experienced gun violence.
This Woman Crush Wednesday is dedicated to an everyday shero by the name of Valerie Castile. Valerie is the mother of Philando Castile. Philando was a dedicated cafeteria supervisor at J.J. Hill Montessori School in Saint Paul , Minnesota. Every year students around the nation are not allowed to graduate if their cafeteria debt is not settled. He was known to pay for the meals of kids who could not afford to. Imagine that! In a nation that can accumulate billions of dollars through a so called “Education Lottery”, not a penny goes to relieving the debts so our children can move forward in life and become their best selves.
Last month, April 2019, Valerie Castile did something to help the very community Philando dedicated himself to before his untimely death at the hands of the police. She donated $8,000 to a Minnesota high school so students were allowed to graduate.
Thank you Valerie for doing your part to make this world a better place. Click here to learn more about The Philando Castile Relief Foundation which helps the victims of gun violence and helps pay off negative school lunch balances. This truly exemplifies the strength and heart of a woman and mother and that is why she is my Woman Crush Wednesday.
The Facts
- Black Americans represent the majority of gun homicide victims. Source In fact, Black Americans are 10 times more likely than white Americans to die by gun homicide. Source
- Black males are 15 times more likely than white males to be shot and injured in assaults involving guns. Source
- Firearms are the second leading cause of death for American children and teens and the first leading cause of death for Black children and teens. Source
- Black children and teens are 14 times more likely than white children and teens of the same age to die by gun homicide. Source
