FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JULY 16, 2020 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 49
Victoria’s
DIARY
Victoria
SCHNEPSYUNIS
vschneps@gmail.com
tweet me @vschneps
As I watched the peaceful
waves slamming onto
the beach miles away
from the city, I thought about
all the people who are coping
with the coronavirus and Black
Lives Matter movement back
in New York City. I’m hoping
that the movement is resonating
with people of all races and
colors and our city residents are
staying safe.
I was very upset about the
systemic racism that my friend
Tanya experienced. While waiting
for the elevator in her building,
in Forest Hills, she was
approached by a white woman
who turned to her and said, “Are
you the maid for the man on the
fourth fl oor?”
Tanya, who is Black, explained
to me the pain it caused her was
just the tip of the iceberg in her
life experiences.
Living in a Forest Hills building,
she decided to put up a
Black Lives Matter sign in her
window. She shared with me
that a white woman approached
her and said, “About that sign
in your window — remember
that All Lives Matter!” I guess
that woman doesn’t get what’s
happening.
I’m so fearful for our great
city. Our city is torn between
those who support the police
and those who support the Black
Lives Matter movement.
My reporters, photographers
and videographers have been
all over the city covering the
demonstrations.
Sadly some of the demonstrators
are out of control thugs.
One protester in the Bronx was
caught on video putting the
police offi cer who was attempting
to arrest him in a headlock.
And we’ve seen pro-police demonstrators
shout out vile insults
against Black people and become
violent as well.
We all love our city and we
need to feel safe walking out
of our homes. Lost in all
of the protests and demonstrations
is the recent spike
in shootings across the
city. My heart breaks for
the family whose 1-yearold
baby was shot to death
in a drive-by shooting in
Brooklyn.
Reaching out to fi nd a solution
during these diffi cult times
Pro-police demonstrators clash with Black Lives Matter protesters in Bayside. (Photo by Dean Moses)
Reaching out
As a former teacher, I
do believe that children
are our future.
Sometimes we feel so hopeless
with all that is going on
in our world, but I believe we
can cope by taking one step
at a time.
In that spirit, we as a media
company, are reaching out
to touch and be touched by
the next generation of middle
school and high school
students. Schneps Media is
asking those young people to
send multimedia submissions
in which they are expressing
their feelings about the Black
Lives Matter movement.
The theme will be:
“Racism In Your Life: Share
Your Story.” We will publish
many of the submissions
in our print, digital and
broadcasting platforms.
Additionally, our daily
and weekly publications
— including amNew York
Metro, Caribbean Life,
Noticia, El Correo and Gay
City News — will be publishing
a series titled, “More
Perfect Union.”
We are encouraging our
readers to share their experiences
with inequality. I
do believe knowledge sets
us free and somehow, someway
this is the time in history
we must remind ourselves
we are, “One nation
under God.”
An innocent life lost shows
how dire things are in these
disturbing times.
The stroller that held
the 1-year-old baby
who was fatally shot
in Brooklyn. (Photo by
Lloyd Mitchell)
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