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I recently celebrated my godson’s 21st birthday in June at Carson’s Ribs in downtown Chicago. We were all laughing and joking as Christion Tucker had his first glass of red wine. Last week, Christion began working with my nonprofit, Project HOOD, which works every day to build our communities by reducing violence.
Then, two weeks ago, one Sunday in August, I got a call from his mother and the news hit me: Christion had been shot multiple times while sitting in his car and was dead. To this day, I don’t know why he was killed. All I know is that his death was senseless.
He was the kid that nobody expected anything to happen to. He wasn’t a statistic. He wasn’t like, “Oh, he’s from the South.” He came from a good family that loved him dearly. He was a good soul that had a lot to give to this world.
In my city, the name “O Block” lives on in infamy. It’s time to change that.
I met Christion through another family tragedy: In 2018, his 15-year-old brother, Chauncey, was killed in a snowplow accident that tore our family apart.
I tried to be there for them as much as I could. My relationship with Christion grew stronger and stronger. It was natural. It was as if we were destined to walk this earth together. I was honored when his mother, Shennie Benson, asked me to be Christion’s godfather.
Today, all I feel is a deep sense of loss and emptiness. Every death is hard, but this one is especially hard. Part of me wonders if I let Christion down. I know how dangerous this South Side neighborhood is. Was I not cautious enough? I can’t bubble wrap these kids for the rest of their lives, but could I have done more?
Christion was very close to his brother and I have seen how tragedies like this can lead people down the wrong path. They start to question the world, lose faith and make bad decisions. But Christion didn’t do that. Instead, he got his brother’s name tattooed on his arm as a memento and started working towards his future.
He graduated from high school and went on to college, where he played basketball on his school’s team. He was also passionate about music. And most of all, he had an aura of being liked and trusted, especially by young people. That’s why I was excited to have him start working at Project HOOD, because I knew he would have a big impact on this work.
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All I feel now is a deep sense of loss and emptiness. Every death is hard, but this one is especially hard. Somewhere in my mind, I wonder if I let him down. I know how dangerous this area is, but was I careful enough? I can’t bubble wrap my kids forever, but could I have done more?
We will never know the answers, but we know that his life on earth had meaning. His mother now has to live with the loss of two wonderful sons. The world is not better for losing these two lives. But at the same time, we must treasure and cherish these lives.
I will admit that after hearing the news about Christion, I thought about quitting. The pain of dealing with these deaths is unbearable. I often wonder why, what for? What meaning can I find?
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At the same time, I know my dad wouldn’t want me to quit. He believed in my dream to help every child achieve the American Dream — the same dream he pursued until the moment he passed away.
As I move forward in life, I vow to take Christion’s voice to heart and mentor young people who are striving for the American Dream. Maybe he really did start working with me as planned, but I just didn’t expect it to happen this way.
Click here to read more comments from Pastor Corey Brooks
