It’s been more than three months since Memphis rap icon Young Dolph was gunned down. Jermia “Mia Jaye” Jerdine, his life partner, is still saddened that no one will ever learn what “Old Dolph” might have become.
In 2020, Mia Jaye had already launched the “Black Men & Boys Deserve to Grow Old” campaign to honor her brother, whom she also lost to gun violence. And on Feb. 20, she hosted the first-ever Black Men Deserve To Grow Old virtual gifting ceremony.
“Above all, God called me to do this,” Mia Jaye said during the online event. “I knew what my brother meant to his family. Just seeing him yanked from his wife and children’s lives…
“I saw my sister-in-law have to take on that burden,” she continued, “I just realized she needed help, she needed to be supported, I knew it was hard for her.”
The Black Men & Boys Deserve to Grow Old campaign aims to raise awareness about the rising homicide numbers in the Black community. The campaign also seeks to support three families tragically impacted by the loss of their husband, father, brother or son.
The Black Men & Boys Deserve to Grow Old Virtual (BMABDTGO) Ceremony was hosted by Mia Jaye, Kimberly Jones and Cassandra Richardson.
“I would’ve never thought in a thousand years that I would be creating a support system that would eventually lift me up,” Mia Jaye said. “It was like I internalized not only my sister-in-law, niece and nephews’ pain, but the families I had also helped.
“My heart was so heavy for them. I was empathizing so much,” she continued. “It was almost like, I felt it before I felt it.”
Then came last Nov. 17, when Young Dolph (Adolph Robert Thornton Jr.) was ambushed in a hail of gunfire outside Makeda’s Cookies on Airways.
“God, knew what my journey was going to look like,” Mia said. “He needed me to create something for myself, something to sustain me when it was my time to walk that threshold. It gave me some type of preparation.
“Helping these families and seeing these other women … I recognized very early this is something I was called to do.”
During the ceremony, three families affected by gun violence were given the proceeds from the campaign.
“Being part of the BMABDTGO Campaign has been a great experience,” said Lynn Williams, who lost her son to senseless violence. “It’s hard losing a child. I appreciate the counseling and financial services this organization has provided.”
Demetria Boyd, still reeling from the loss of her husband, echoed that sentiment.
“It has helped me tremendously because financially I’m stretched so thin, and this has helped me to close some gaps.”
Brittney Watson, the third recipient, lost her brother to violence.
“Mia gave me a sense of direction, connection and comfort,” Watson said. “She helped me feel seen and understood. She gave me an idea on how to start to move forward after my brother’s passing.”
The gifting ceremony was concluded with an appearance from Kay Jerdine, the sister-in-law who inspired Mia Jaye to create Black Men Deserve to Grow Old.
“BMABDTGO made me feel supported and helped me to not feel so alone,” said Jerdine.
The campaign, which incorporates the selling of Black Men & Boys Deserve To Grow Old merchandise, collaborates with influencers to discuss methods of change and shares heart-wrenching statistics on the reality of gun violence.
The second half of the ceremony was a panel discussion that included: Elizabeth Hart (director, Office of Faith-Based and Community Engagement at Tennessee Department of Health), Jermaine Clark & Keith Lewis Jr. (I’m A Father F1rst non-profit), Shelby County Commissioner Van Turner Jr. (also Memphis Branch NAACP president), Victoria Terry & Vickie Terry (Memphis Branch NAACP executive director), Tonja Sesley-Baymon (Memphis Urban League president/CEO), Kermit Moore (director, A. Philip Randolph Institute), and Gail Tyree (executive director, AFSCME Local 1733).
The panel discussed a range of topics, including coping mechanisms, unifying our communities and how to incorporate more youth programs and villages within our communities.
(To support, share or learn more about the Black Men Deserve to Grow Old Campaign, follow @shopmomeo, @blackmendeservetogrowold or visit www.shopmomeo.com.)
