John Fountain: Tribute to De’Kayla becomes song and video

SHARE John Fountain: Tribute to De’Kayla becomes song and video
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This photo of De’Kayla Dansberry, 15, appeared in the obituary program for her funeral held Wednesday at the New Beginnings Church. Police say a 13-year-old girl stabbed De’Kayla in the chest on May 14 during a fight in the Parkway Gardens neighborhood.

There was something haunting about the song.

While listening to Orbert Davis’ trumpet wail on his stirring rendition of Bill Wither’s “Ain’t No Sunshine,” I was inspired to write my own words surrounding the original refrain. Three simple words — Ain’t No Sunshine — they spoke to me deeply about the murders of “our daughters” in Chicago.

I played the song again and again, letting it marinate over my soul while sitting at my computer keyboard. Words seemed to leap from the haunting melancholy rhythm of Orbert’s horn. What I wrote, I presented as a recent column, calling it “An Ode to De’Kayla.”

But even after the Sun-Times published the column, I felt deeply compelled to record myself speaking it. So I did.

But my soul still was not satisfied.

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I felt further compelled to put images to the lyrical tribute and even more a sense of urgency — that I still don’t quite understand — to complete it. It was hard to sleep, hard to simply put it down. I arose at 3 a.m., working on it for several days, unable to shake it from my mind.

In my recording and editing, I was focused without feeling much emotion. But after finalizing the video, I sat back in my chair in a coffee shop with my headphones on to absorb it in its entirety.

I was overwhelmed: By the faces. The stories. The loss. The tragedy that there would be no weddings. And for some of them: no prom, or high school or even kindergarten graduation.

No more birthdays. No more memories to make.

I wept for our daughters.

I posted the video on social media, seeking, in one sense, simply to get rid of that urgency stabbing my gut. I shared it with my friend Orbert, who happens to be an Emmy-Award winning trumpeter, composer and educator as well as co-founder, conductor and artistic director of Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, a 55-piece jazz-symphonic orchestra.

Orbert shared it with others and was moved to ask his friends to share it as well, writing: “I know that this is hard to watch, listen to and digest, but I pray that all my Facebook friends and family would watch and share this post. I don’t care if you ‘like’ it. I posted a picture of our beautiful city and received over 300 ‘likes’ in just three days.

“This post had been up for a day with three… Will it reach 300 in 100 days? Or will it quickly fade, never becoming a distant memory? It’s not easy, but I will watch it for the next 100 mornings while praying for change. Please join me. That’s the least that we could do.”

It is the least I can do through Sunday, Sept. 18.

So I am joining Orbert, moved by a melody and compelled by this great loss of humanity; by the need for human and divine intervention; by the mounting toll of the more than 1,800 already reportedly wounded in Chicago so far this year with at least 300 murdered — among them 15-year-old De’Kayla Dansberry.

Orbert adds: “May our tears become Heaven’s tears! …Please make a comment every day after watching the film. Your emotions will spur comments. Your comments will transform into ideas. The ideas will grow arms and legs and will move and motivate to make change!”

That’s Orbert’s hope. And mine.

We feel compelled and inspired, even as we agonize over this haunting truth about our daughters. Even as we seek words, rhythms and melodies to help us find the heart to end this scourge and write a new song with Day 15 and still praying.

To view “An Ode to De’Kayala”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6iGv4np9-M

Or listen: http://www.livingwatertoday.com/AnOdetoDekayla.mp3

Email: Author@johnwfountain.com<mailto:Author@johnwfountain.com

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