originally published by Great Black Speaker’s Bureau, August 2, 2013

The transcript of a speech given at the Grantville Parks and Recreation Summer Youth Camp Closing Ceremony, Grantville, GA, July 26, 2013

My name is Nigel Walker. I am a math/science teacher at Smokey Road Middle School in Newnan, and I am also a 3-time published author, speaker and community activist. It is a pleasure to speak with you today. As a teacher and community activist, it is important for me to address the very sensitive matter that we are faced with, as we all are gearing up to return to school in a few days. Right now a 17-yr old young man is laying to rest and the man that took his life is at home. But, the issue that we are protesting is not the biggest issue. It goes deeper than that.

The decision (the verdict) can be loosely interpreted that your reputation can be considered a lethal weapon. You guys and girls that go to school bullying, fighting, arguing with your teachers, using bad language, or doing any of those things in public, period—your attitude might now be considered a lethal weapon. If someone feel threatened by it, most states (the Stand Your Ground states), which includes GA, they “might” have the right to take your life. We can protest all we want, or we can stop giving them the cause to profile us or take us out.

If you have ever been one who complains about why you need to go to school and learn stuff you don’t need, I tell you this. You need an education; you need knowledge to gain credibility. Credibility basically means that what you say can be trusted to be true, accurate, and can be backed up by facts and experience. Credibility is the card that can outweigh the affects of profiling. Credibility is the card that produces justice. Credibility was one of the determining factors of the verdict of the Zimmerman trial.

Trayvon Martin is no longer with us. He could not speak for himself. He could not give us his side of the details of that night. He could not prove how intelligent he was or if he had good manners. His voice was taken with his life. Only what he left behind could speak for him, and during the trial they took his Facebook postings, phone conversations, and pictures as his reputation to damage his credibility. They even used the mannerisms of other witnesses to try to damage their credibility.

The lesson here is that we have to make sure that our education and our reputation build upon our credibility, so they we might have justice on our side. You can do that by thinking before you speak. Have an I.D.E.A. about what you say first. An I.D.E.A is an acronym that I am using to help you remember how your conversations should go when speak in public, or with social media. Remember that facebook, twitter, instagram, all are public domains.

I is Integrity – speak with high esteem and pride for yourself, not putting yourself or others down

D is Decency – speak what is appropriate for any audience; if you can’t say it around everybody, it probably should not be said at all

E is Expression – use intelligent, proper grammar; no slang or profanity

A is Accuracy – speak the truth; earn trust and credibility from others; know what you are talking about; gossip is not accurate

I, for one, know how things go with your friends—the desire to have fun; impressing and entertaining each other; having an identity and your own way of speaking; your own code. It is okay when you are in your own circle, but you have to be careful what picture you paint publically. Look at me; most of you may see me as this really serious teacher, who only reads or do work for fun and likes to fuss at children all the time. Publically, I keep a serious and professional reputation.

But my private hobbies include listening rap; I like Drake, Kanye West, Eminem; my friends and I still jive each other when we get together; I don’t wear suits and ties all the time; I own Sperrys, Polo, Jordans. However, I do spend most of my public time building a positive reputation and credibility, because the reality is that I am an African American male, with dreads, and a car with tint and rims. I can be easily profiled; and by the law, I just might be considered a threat. But, I know not to engage in any physical activity towards anyone, and if anything would end up in court, I have a big enough resume that hopefully would earn me plenty of credibility.

What you guys and girls have to remember is that outsiders don’t always relate to you, and unfortunately, certain actions on your part might now be considered a threat. Also, being a copy cat of what you see or hear on television, in music, or online is not worth your life. Think before you speak. Have an idea about what you say—integrity, decency, expression, and accuracy. Then when you speak, people will listen. Don’t allow others to take your voice. Thank you.