Real Talk Tuesday

Holding Space for a Community in Pain

Today I want to acknowledge the loss of two young men whose lives were taken far too soon in Rainier Beach — an area I know well and hold close.

I get my hair done just a few blocks from where this happened. Years ago, around 2010, we lived very near this same area. And even deeper than that, this loss stirred memories I carry quietly — My close friend’s brother was murdered just a few blocks from here while I was living in Las Vegas.

This is not distant for me.

This is personal.

I also knew Charles Davis when he was just starting out with his barbecue business, selling food down the street when we lived out that way. To see him now — stepping up not just as a business owner, but as a father and a member of the community — reminds me of what still exists even in the middle of heartbreak.

To the families, friends, and loved ones of these two young men:

I offer my deepest condolences. There are no words that make this kind of loss make sense. Please know that your community is holding space for you, even when the weight feels unbearable.

What moved me deeply is how Charles Davis chose to respond. After learning that his own son knew the young men — played basketball with them, shared space with them — he did what he knew how to do. He showed up with food. With care. With action.

He launched a GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/supporting-families-after-seattle-tragedy not for attention, but to help cover funeral costs and to feed grieving families and community members. He plans to bring his barbecue truck directly to the services, offering nourishment in a moment when people often forget to eat.

As his grandmother taught him — food can be healing.

Food can be conversation.

Food can be love.

I want to use my voice today to support those efforts and to encourage anyone who is able to contribute to the verified GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/supporting-families-after-seattle-tragedy benefiting the families of these two young men. Even small acts of support matter.

Violence leaves scars that ripple far beyond the headlines.

But so does compassion.

Today, I choose to acknowledge the pain, honor the lives lost, and uplift the people who are showing up with care when it matters most.

May these young men be remembered with dignity.

May their families feel surrounded, not forgotten.

And may we never stop finding ways to carry one another when the weight is too heavy to hold alone.

Lady Flava