#SayHerName: Sonya Massey’s Final Words Call For Compassion

A stirring has emerged within the culture and today, humanity is called forward to be conscious of the present moment and times that we are all collectively experiencing.

Sonya Massey, 36, was fatally shot in Illinois by Deputy Sean Grayson who arrived at her home after a 911 call Massey made fearing an intruder in her home on July 6. Autopsy reports confirm she died by homicide due to a gunshot wound to her head. 

SEE ALSO – Justice For Sonya Massey: What We Know About The Police Killing Of Illinois Black Woman 

Massey’s final words, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” spoke to strength of her faith, even in her final moments.

It’s hard to truly imagine what a person is processing when their life is on the line. From the outside looking in, her declaration seemed to reflect a profound reliance on her faith as a source of courage and resistance against the evident fear and chaos of the situation, even through the mental health issues she suffered.

According to NBC News, she was taking medication and her two children were recently sent to go live with their fathers while she sought help. Despite her struggles, her faith remained a strong force in that moment. 

“She needed a helping hand, not a bullet to the face,” Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Massey’s family, said at a local press conference. “She just needed those officers to extend an ounce of humanity, not to kill her.”

SEE ALSO: Confronting The Silent Struggle: How Cheslie Kryst’s Story Reveals The Hidden Battle Of Mental Health In The Pursuit Of Perfection

What steps can we take to evolve humanity forward? 

A starting point is to lead with understanding and connect with grace and compassion. In embodying either, we meet others where they are. Dissecting the spirituality of compassion, scholar Julia Head once wrote, “A compassionate attitude means we will not just choose ourselves, but we will choose others in their humanity. We will not close our hearts to others, but we will open them up to others – and in doing so we will open ourselves up to the gift of enhanced relationship and belonging.”

In a sense, one’s compassion is a mirror to the relationship they have with themselves. What was missing from this encounter was grace and understanding — two things often overlooked in not just the story of Sonya Massey, but also the misunderstood stories of Sandra Bland, Breonna Taylor, Atatiana Jefferson, Korryn Gaines and many other Black women who were not shown compassion.

SEE ALSO: What Jessica Pettway’s Death Teaches Us About Self-Advocating

Massey’s father, James Wilburn, told CBS News that he believed his daughter had a “premonition” about the “unexplainable” danger she found herself in, in her final moments where she called out to God.

As we reflect on Massey’s final words that were met with bullets, we honor her life lived through words of awareness.

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, Massey’s final words, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” spoke to strength of her faith, even in her final moments.
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