Assassination: From Edwin Pratt to Charlie Kirk

A Seasoned Souls Reflection — Lady Flava

When I was a little girl, about nine years old, the world I knew changed. My father’s close friend and colleague, Edwin T. Pratt, was assassinated outside his home in Shoreline, Washington. My parents had recently shared dinner with the Pratt family. I remember the sadness, the shock, the heaviness that fell over our home. It wasn’t just a headline — it was personal.

Edwin Pratt was a civil rights leader, a voice for justice, and a friend to my father through their work with the Urban League. His death left a hole not only in the community, but in our family’s heart. To this day, his legacy is honored around Seattle. Yet, for me, the memory is a reminder of how violent and divided the world can become.

As a child, I grew up in a time when names like John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X were tied to assassination. They weren’t just figures in history books — they were names spoken in my home, shaping my understanding of justice, race, politics, and human dignity.

Recently, the assassination of Charlie Kirk brought those childhood memories flooding back. His name was not one I followed, but after his death, videos and commentary filled my social media feeds. And I found myself disturbed. Disturbed by his politics and moral standing as I’ve come to learn about them — but also deeply unsettled by the act itself.

Let me be clear: no one deserves assassination. Not Edwin Pratt. Not Martin Luther King Jr. Not John or Robert Kennedy. Not Malcolm X. And not Charlie Kirk. Violence does not resolve differences. It silences voices, yes — but it also amplifies division, fuels propaganda, and gives rise to even more hate.

We live in scary, divided times. The truth is, our words, our opinions, our beliefs all come with weight. But death is never the answer. What frightens me is how assassination turns even the most troubling viewpoints into platforms that spread further.

And so I ask myself — and I ask all of us — to pause and reflect:

Do we know our why for the opinions we hold? Are we shaped by compassion, or swayed by division? Do we add to the healing of this world, or its hurting?

I don’t have all the answers, but I do know this: the echoes of those assassinations in my childhood are still alive in me today. They remind me to be careful, to be kind, and to keep praying for our country. 🌻

— Lady Flava