:::In Remembrance of People I Never Knew::The Hudson Family (R.I.P)::

As I awoke this morning to a new day, I felt an immense joy to have been so blessed with the gift of life. That joy turned cold as I was made aware that 7-year-old Julian King was found dead, ending the 3-day search for the nephew of Jennifer Hudson. Mere words cannot express how much sympathy I feel for Jennifer.



Her ascent to stardom over the past four years reads like page torn from a Cinderella storybook.
Raised in a rough section of Chicago's South Side, Hudson was vaulted from the inner city to the silver screen - taking home an Academy Award and critical acclaim in the process. Yet with all her success as an actress and recording artist, it can be surmised that it will be extremely difficult for her to continue to enjoy the fruits of her immense gifts in the wake of the murders of her mother, brother and young nephew.

It is rumored that following her success, Hudson incessantly tried to encourage her mother to relocate from that very neighborhood on the South Side where Hudson had grown up to more befitting digs. Partly evidenced in what Gil Scott-Heron termed the "Get Out Of The Ghetto Blues" in his song of the same title, one of the main goals of disenfranchised Blacks from lower socioeconomic areas who become economically empowered is leaving the concrete jungle behind for greener pastures. The history books are filled with pro athletes and Hip-Hop artists who have eagerly and unabashedly followed this well-beaten path. Sadly in Hudson's case, it must be a bitter sting to know that her success and good intention could not thwart the violence relegated to the aforementioned areas, and pejoratively termed Black-on-Black crime by the media, from reaching those whom she cherished the most.

Illinois senator and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's office released a statement of consolation in reaction to the news of the murders. Hopefully, fellow South Side Chicagoan Kanye West, who lost his own mother Dr. Donda West last November, will reach out to Hudson to impart advice and offer consolation in light of her loss.

It is undetermined at this time exactly what prompted the murders of Jennifer Hudson's mother
Darnell Hudson-Donnerson:


Her brother Jason Hudson:


and more sadly her 7-year-old nephew Julian King:


I am not here to compose a diatribe against the suspect in these murders, as some blogs have chosen to do. I am, however, compelled to point out a fact hidden in plain sight: we as a global society have become increasingly accepting of the devaluing of human life. Violence has become a disturbingly integral part of American society and popular culture. Individually and collectively, we must restore that value that modern capital has diminished over time. Some may cite the ascent of secularism in society as the cause. I personally believe the culprit is the lack of love we practice for both ourselves and our fellow man.

We must all understand that human life has intrinsic value, far beyond the goods and services it consumes or produces. Far beyond the emotional and physical states it affects. The value lies in both the truth and belief that it is ordained by a higher being. Once society accepts this as the epicenter of its function, the world will be a much better place.

Make it a point to reach out to those you love and cherish the precious moments you have with them.
My heart goes out to the Hudson Family. May you find strength and solace in your love for one another during this time of extreme grief and bereavement.