Overwhelming Grief: The Central District Mourns and Seeks Answers After the Murder of D’Vonne Pickett Jr.

By Keisha Credit

My Seattle is hurting.

Seattle today is only 1 day in to healing from the tragic loss & murder of D'Vonne Pickett Jr, a Seattle Central District native, husband, father, coach, friend, athlete, and Business Owner. Our community was struck by this news at 6:30 PM, on Wednesday.

As retold at his memorial yesterday evening, by his wife, Keanna Pickett, he was wrapping up a day of Business at his local post office, @thepostman, and when confronted as he locked up, he turned away from a potential threat, with a kind heart, and was shot.

D'Vonne was a hero to these kids. He was a hero to men. Grown men. Men who have hard exteriors, and the most gentle and kind insides. Men who don't find smiling to be their first reaction, but a gift that comes out when deserved. The men of the CD are giants. And they walk with their head high, well dressed, and in Gold. Our ancestors would call them kings, and they deserve that title.

It's not easy being a Black Man.

And doing things right.

I am not a Black man. So, this is from my black heart, only.

Our Black men, are hurting.

Their children are in pain.

A team of 6-year-olds did not have their coach today when they went to practice. Some of them, along with their parents, were too brokenhearted, to attend. His team, he was their leader- their hero.

A man, like them, in Gold, with his head high, his pants not low (just slightly below the waist), and his ethics visible in every step.

D'Vonne Pickett Jr. was what the 'hood' aspired to be.

His murder, shattered that dream. And at his memorial, that was felt. The tears, the cries, the screams. I appreciate that man for screaming. And if you were there, you remember. I appreciate him. Thank him for screaming. We need to scream.

Because even to us, our lives still don't matter.

We rise, and we are taken.

Dreams become real, doors are opened to success and a life blessed with opportunities. And our lives have a higher rate of being taken by gun violence, than any other race.

A Black man screamed today. And he deserved to scream...

My prayers, and every ounce of support goes to his wife, and mother of their 2 children, Keanna Pickett, who I had the pleasure to coach a Business Bestie, and a friend. I met her 3 years ago yesterday, at an Amazon Startup Week Event I was presenting. She sat front row. And she emailed me, for us to work on ideas for her business. She is a dedicated, devoted, and extremely intuitive woman. The Pickett family has a business mind and acumen that I pray seeps into every person who has been blessed with a with of their spirit. Their business, @thepostman , the community as a whole, will keep it strong.

Seattle's Black Community is consistently being torn to pieces smaller and smaller.

Where, are we safe?

About Keisha

Keisha Credit is a Kreative Entrepreneur, with experience founding 5 companies at her young age of 32. She is a Seattle native, and multi-time graduate from the University of Washington. With her main business, Your Business Bestie, she coaches other Entrepreneurs how to run their business to maximum profitability. One of her core pillars is mental health and freedom, which she explores through her work with the Therapy Fund Foundation.