Help bring Grayson home to his family!
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Grayson Gordon grew up in Berkeley, CA and attended BUSD schools starting in pre-school. He was an extremely well behaved, happy, and mild tempered child. Grayson played baseball on AAU teams all thru elementary to the 10th grade. In High school he was not supported in academia by the BHS athletic staff; he, being on the smaller side, was not favored as a prospect for college basketball. Grayson worked very hard on his own to keep his grades up to be eligible for the team. Despite scrambling with make-up work to raise his grades (and doing so) the athletic director cut him from the team. Grayson LOVED playing basketball on a team. When this happened he became sad, withdrawn and depressed. Eventually his grades began to suffer. Most days he could barely get out of bed to go to school. Diagnosed with osgood schlatters he also suffered from the pain of this condition. I tried everything to help him feel better and get back on track. He lost his excitement for life when basketball was no longer an option for him. Soon after, Grayson was (despite my reluctance) sent to the East Campus continuation school, even though I knew, and I quote a Berekeley city council member, that is “where the throw away kids go”.
< />On February 2016, when he was 16 years old Grayson was shot 5 times in the torso directly in front of our home in Berkeley CA. taken by ambulance to Highland Emergency and immediately taken in to surgery on his stomach and had a splenectomy. He was hospitalized for 10 days in critical condition. Unbelievably, he was shot a second time in September of that same year. This time in the face, luckily only grazed by the bullets.
I had to witness my son lay there on a hospital gurney bleeding from gunshot wounds not only once, but two times! I suffer from PTSD as a result of this experience and, as an adult, can't even imagine having to go through that trauma as an adolescent. BPD denied our applications for victim services. In addition, the local media slandered his name. He was a victim of a violent crime and treated like a criminal. These services would have given Grayson the much-needed support and intervention that he so desperately needed to treat the trauma he endured.
This young man needs to be at home with his family and/or in a program that can give him the chance to recover and begin to build his life. Grayson suffers from severe PTSD and being incarcerated for so long has been very difficult for him.
Grayson is my son - he is respectful, kind, generous and driven. He loves music and wants to make entertaining his life’s work. He had already produced 100s of songs by the time he was 19. He had been employed from 15 to the time of his arrest. I am beside myself, as his mother and single parent, not to be able to get him the care and support he needs for recovery from his trauma. Calvin, my son, Grayson’s older brother, is missing him as well, and these detrimental years of his young adulthood. Grayson has 3 young nephews and 2 baby cousins 3 of which he hasn't even met. Grayson is such an integral part of our family. We are ALL suffering a loss with him being gone.
Grayson needs and deserves proper representation with an attorney that sees these young black men as human beings and not just a number. All of this is not uncommon. Our story is, unfortunately, not unique. This is how our “justice” system works in this country. As a community, we need to work together to protect our youth, change the narrative, and stop disproportionality using black children as a criminal example, and instead prevent mass incarceration and the prison industrial complex by showing young black youth that their lives DO MATTER, we hear them, and will protect them, so they don’t feel like they have to protect themselves.
Now with COVID-19 causing extremely dangerous conditions for persons incarcerated, Grayson being without a spleen which compromises his immune system has added yet another layer of challenges for his safety, well being, and health. We haven’t been allowed to visit and haven’t seen his gorgeous smile in over 5 months. We are working to get him released while he awaits trial.
Grayson is just 21, and for 2 years has been confined at Santa Rita Jail on alleged gun related charges, awaiting trial. We are raising money strictly for his legal fees. All money donated will go to his defense. We have accrued mounting prisoner and legal fees and still he has yet to go to trial. Any amount you can donate to help bring Grayson home to his family is greatly appreciated, please share. Thank you.
< />On February 2016, when he was 16 years old Grayson was shot 5 times in the torso directly in front of our home in Berkeley CA. taken by ambulance to Highland Emergency and immediately taken in to surgery on his stomach and had a splenectomy. He was hospitalized for 10 days in critical condition. Unbelievably, he was shot a second time in September of that same year. This time in the face, luckily only grazed by the bullets.
I had to witness my son lay there on a hospital gurney bleeding from gunshot wounds not only once, but two times! I suffer from PTSD as a result of this experience and, as an adult, can't even imagine having to go through that trauma as an adolescent. BPD denied our applications for victim services. In addition, the local media slandered his name. He was a victim of a violent crime and treated like a criminal. These services would have given Grayson the much-needed support and intervention that he so desperately needed to treat the trauma he endured.
This young man needs to be at home with his family and/or in a program that can give him the chance to recover and begin to build his life. Grayson suffers from severe PTSD and being incarcerated for so long has been very difficult for him.
Grayson is my son - he is respectful, kind, generous and driven. He loves music and wants to make entertaining his life’s work. He had already produced 100s of songs by the time he was 19. He had been employed from 15 to the time of his arrest. I am beside myself, as his mother and single parent, not to be able to get him the care and support he needs for recovery from his trauma. Calvin, my son, Grayson’s older brother, is missing him as well, and these detrimental years of his young adulthood. Grayson has 3 young nephews and 2 baby cousins 3 of which he hasn't even met. Grayson is such an integral part of our family. We are ALL suffering a loss with him being gone.
Grayson needs and deserves proper representation with an attorney that sees these young black men as human beings and not just a number. All of this is not uncommon. Our story is, unfortunately, not unique. This is how our “justice” system works in this country. As a community, we need to work together to protect our youth, change the narrative, and stop disproportionality using black children as a criminal example, and instead prevent mass incarceration and the prison industrial complex by showing young black youth that their lives DO MATTER, we hear them, and will protect them, so they don’t feel like they have to protect themselves.
Now with COVID-19 causing extremely dangerous conditions for persons incarcerated, Grayson being without a spleen which compromises his immune system has added yet another layer of challenges for his safety, well being, and health. We haven’t been allowed to visit and haven’t seen his gorgeous smile in over 5 months. We are working to get him released while he awaits trial.
Grayson is just 21, and for 2 years has been confined at Santa Rita Jail on alleged gun related charges, awaiting trial. We are raising money strictly for his legal fees. All money donated will go to his defense. We have accrued mounting prisoner and legal fees and still he has yet to go to trial. Any amount you can donate to help bring Grayson home to his family is greatly appreciated, please share. Thank you.
Organizer
Rachel Hart
Organizer
Berkeley, CA
