July 21, 2025
Shadows Over Nine Mile: The Jennifer Harris Story
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In this gripping episode of No Tears For Black Girls, we journey to Eastpointe, Michigan—a community where hope and hardship walk hand in hand. Through the lens of one devastating morning, host Samantha Paul peels back the layers of ordinary life to reveal the extraordinary resilience required to survive in a world that seldom offers second chances.
We meet Jennifer Harris—known as “Jamma” to friends and family—a devoted mother of six and the unbreakable backbone of her community, who worked tirelessly at a local McDonald’s for over fifteen years. On what started as another routine day, tragedy shatters the calm, when a confrontation erupts between Jennifer and a troubled coworker, Afeni Muhammad. The shocking violence that ensues leaves a family destroyed, a community in mourning, and difficult questions echoing far beyond Eastpointe’s tree-lined streets.
Samantha explores the powerful, often invisible pressures facing Black women in America’s working class, the overlooked warning signs of workplace violence, and the urgent need to address mental health in communities that have long been told to “push through.” With deep empathy and unflinching honesty, this episode unpacks the systemic failures and silent struggles that allowed heartbreak to spill over on that fateful July morning.
Listen as we honor Jennifer’s legacy, investigate the complexities of Afeni’s pain, and spotlight the everyday heroes who rise from tragedy. If you’ve ever wondered what makes a community endure—and what it costs when those burdens go unchecked—this is an episode you can’t afford to miss.
Featuring “Queen’s Crown” by the Crown & Soul Collective from the soundtrack of Price of Silence by J.C. Reedburg.
Stay loved. Stay blessed. Stay safe.
CREDITS:
Created, Written, & Produced by John Reedburg
Hosted & Narrated by Samantha Paul
Production Company: John Reedburg Media
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
https://www.youtube.com/@NoTearsForBlacksGirls
facebook.com/notearsforblackgirls
instagram.com/notearsforblackgirls
tiktok.com/@notearsforblackgirls
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00:00:01,960 --> 00:00:08,400
No tears for black girls when
they disappear, No tears for
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00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:16,239
black girls like they were never
here, but we remember will speak
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00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:19,040
their names.
I got stayed home early
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00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:21,960
yesterday.
I got sent home early today by
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00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:24,440
the same person.
I'm telling you, she's a bully.
6
00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:28,120
Today inside the 38th District
Court in East, .26 year old
7
00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:31,120
Athenee Badu Muhammad was
arraigned on 1st degree murder
8
00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:34,600
charges for stabbing and killing
her manager, 39 year old
9
00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:37,040
Jennifer Harris.
Prior to the stabbing, Muhammad
10
00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:40,000
was sent home by Harris for not
performing her work duties and
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00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:42,680
told Harris I'll be back.
East Point police officers,
12
00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:45,880
during their swear to beforehand
revealed disturbing details
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00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:48,160
about what appeared to be a
planned killing.
14
00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:50,480
Muhammad admitted that she
intended to kill Harris and
15
00:00:50,480 --> 00:00:53,600
stated that after she was sent
home, she drove to a nearby
16
00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:57,000
park, decided to come back and
stab Harris with a knife that
17
00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:58,280
she had it inside of her
vehicle.
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00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:01,080
When Muhammad returned to stab
Harris, she entered the back
19
00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:04,000
entrance with a hood mask over
her face in an attempt to
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00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:06,760
conceal her identity and
attempted to flee the scene
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00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:09,320
after the stabbing but was
stopped by an armed customer.
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00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,600
What's more disturbing, Mohammed
posted videos to social media
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00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:16,160
saying she was fed up with her
manager for repeatedly sending
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00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:18,640
her home from work.
Mohammed's defense attorney
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00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:21,760
argued for a bond, which
prompted A fiery response from
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00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:24,520
the prosecutor, who pointed out
Mohammed has a criminal history
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00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:27,680
of stabbing.
The defendant does have a prior
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00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:30,480
instance of at least one that
I'm aware that involved a
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00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:34,720
stabbing, similar obviously to
the stabbing that occurred in
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00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:38,040
this case involving a knife, for
I am asking at this time for no
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00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:40,480
bond in this case.
There's a certain rhythm to
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00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:43,760
mornings in East Point,
Michigan, a city perched on
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00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:47,320
Detroit's northeastern edge,
where suburban calm meets the
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00:01:47,320 --> 00:01:52,680
realities of daily struggle.
Here you'll find neat tree lined
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00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:56,720
blocks, churches on every corner
and neighbors waving across
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00:01:56,720 --> 00:01:59,520
their lawns.
But East Point is defined as
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00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:03,640
much by its resilience as its
quiet streets, a place shaped by
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00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:08,440
decades of working class grit,
shifting industries and, yes,
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00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:11,400
the headlines that sometimes
spill over from Detroit.
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00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:15,000
It's not the kind of city that
expects national attention.
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00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:19,840
Most days are about making ends
meet, getting the kids off to
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00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:23,360
school, clocking in for your
shift and trying to squeeze a
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00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:25,800
little hope from life's daily
anxieties.
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00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:29,400
East Point is built on the
ordinary, powered by the
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00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:32,160
extraordinary strength of the
people who call it home.
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00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:36,160
But on a quiet Thursday morning,
something happened inside a
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00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:40,360
local McDonald's that shattered
the routine and sent shock waves
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00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:42,480
far beyond those familiar
blocks.
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00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:47,120
What began as another work day
ended in tragedy, one that would
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00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:49,240
ripple through East Point and
beyond.
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00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:55,280
Today we take you inside a story
of work, struggle, heartbreak,
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00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:58,880
and the invisible burden so many
carry in modern America.
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00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:03,600
Jennifer Harris, her friends
called her JAMA, was the kind of
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00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:07,000
person who held everything
together even as life tried to
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00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:11,600
tear her apart.
At 39, Jennifer was a mother of
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00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:15,440
six, working double shifts at
the same McDonald's on 9 Mile
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00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:19,600
Rd. for 15 years.
Her smile was her armor, her
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00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:22,800
discipline legendary, her
compassion unbreakable.
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00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:27,880
She was mother, father, provider
and friend to kids ranging from
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00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:31,720
5 to 20.
Their father was behind bars, so
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00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:35,960
Jennifer had to be everything.
For her, the job was never just
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00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:38,800
a paycheck.
It was family, community,
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00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:42,320
survival.
But not everyone saw Jennifer as
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00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:45,280
a friend.
Tension simmered between her and
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00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:47,800
one employee, Afeni Badu
Muhammad.
66
00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:52,760
Afeni, 26, was new to East
Point, drifting from state to
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00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:56,440
state, job to job, her past
marked by pain.
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00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:01,240
Her social media was a storm of
music, rants against bullies and
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00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:03,840
cryptic posts about feeling
misunderstood.
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00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:07,680
Darkness clung to her, both
online and off.
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00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:12,160
Years earlier in Virginia, Afini
had been involved in another
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00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:15,120
stabbing.
Different state, same shadows.
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00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:19,640
In the days before the tragedy,
Afini felt increasingly singled
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00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:23,200
out at work.
Two days before the attack, she
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00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:26,920
vented on Instagram.
I got sent home early yesterday.
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00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:29,440
I got sent home early today by
the same person.
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00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:32,320
I'm telling you, she's a bully.
She needs to understand that
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00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:34,640
just because she's a mother and
got children doesn't mean she
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00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:37,280
can come in this store
disrespecting people.
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00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:40,680
She can keep being a bully if
she wants to, but that shit is
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00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:44,240
going to catch up to her.
Afeni believed she was being
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00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:48,080
disrespected, targeted.
The divide between her and
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00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:51,400
Jennifer grew into a chasm,
deepened by resentments and
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00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:53,480
pains invisible to the outside
world.
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00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:59,840
Then came July 10th, 2025.
Just before 8:00 AM, Jennifer
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00:04:59,840 --> 00:05:04,160
sent a Feeny home from her shift
staff heard a Feeny say, I'll be
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00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:07,000
back.
No one knew how dangerous that
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00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:11,200
promise would prove.
A Feeny left, drove to a nearby
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00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:14,440
park, and sat alone in her car,
rage building.
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00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:18,320
She grabbed a knife she kept
hidden, pulled a mask over her
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00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:21,640
face, and returned to
McDonald's, slipping in through
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00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:25,840
the employee entrance.
Inside, the routine shattered in
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00:05:25,840 --> 00:05:28,920
an instant.
Still masked, a Feeny rushed
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00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:32,480
behind the counter and attacked
Jennifer without warning. 15
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00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:36,880
stab wounds, each one fueled by
unchecked anger and desperation.
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00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:41,000
It happened in seconds.
Out in the drive through, a
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00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:45,200
customer heard the screams, saw
the attack and acted fast.
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00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:49,880
Armed and licensed, the customer
fired a warning shot, then
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00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:53,120
chased a feeny to her car and
held her at gunpoint until
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00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:56,360
police arrived.
One person's quick thinking may
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00:05:56,360 --> 00:05:58,360
have prevented an even greater
tragedy.
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00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:02,000
Jennifer was rushed to the
hospital, but her injuries were
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00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:05,400
too severe.
She died doing what she'd always
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00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:07,880
done, working to give her
children a future.
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00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:12,080
The news hit East Point and
Detroit like a tidal wave.
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00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:16,880
Six children, now orphaned,
faced a loss too big to fathom.
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00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:21,120
The McDonald's parking lot, once
a sight of morning greetings,
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00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:24,040
became a place for vigils and
balloon releases.
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00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:27,720
A GoFundMe was launched for
Jennifer's children.
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00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:31,280
As neighbors, city leaders and
McDonald's owners mourned a loss
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00:06:31,280 --> 00:06:35,880
too immense for words in court,
the horror came to light.
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00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:40,440
Afani Muhammad was arraigned for
first degree premeditated murder
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00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:43,840
and carrying a dangerous weapon
with unlawful intent.
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00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:49,000
Her bond was set at $25 million
with strict conditions if
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00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:51,800
posted.
She remains in Macomb County
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00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:56,440
Jail awaiting her hearing.
More details emerged.
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00:06:57,160 --> 00:07:01,040
Afini's past included another
stabbing in Virginia, while her
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00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:05,640
social media revealed spirals of
anger, paranoia and untreated
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00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:08,680
wounds.
Mental health advocates ask
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00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:11,440
tough questions.
What signs were missed?
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00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:14,880
What help never came?
Online?
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00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:19,080
The debate raged.
Some condemned Afani, others saw
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00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:21,280
her as a casualty of a broken
system.
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00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:24,040
But none of it can bring
Jennifer back.
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00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:29,280
No explanation, no sympathy, no
hashtag can heal the hole in her
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00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:33,240
children's lives.
The story of Jennifer Harris and
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00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:37,040
Afini Muhammad is a warning, a
tragedy born of hidden
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00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:40,920
struggles, invisible burdens,
and what happens when those
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00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:42,920
burdens finally break the
surface.
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00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:47,200
Let's pause to consider what
lies behind so many stories like
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00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:50,920
this, workplace violence and
mental health.
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00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:55,280
The truth is, most acts of
violence at work don't come out
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00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:58,280
of nowhere.
They build in the shadows, in
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00:07:58,280 --> 00:08:02,560
silence, in people bottling up
hurt, fear, resentment, and
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00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:05,200
trauma until something finally
snaps.
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00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:08,920
In the Black community
especially, many of us are
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00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:12,960
taught to push through, to work
twice as hard to survive.
138
00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:16,920
But we're rarely taught how to
care for our mental health, to
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00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:20,560
check in with ourselves or reach
out for help before things fall
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00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:23,520
apart.
The stigma is heavy, like a
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00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:28,400
chain against seeking therapy or
simply admitting I'm not OK.
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00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:34,120
That silence can be deadly, not
just for us, but for everyone
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00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:37,000
around us.
If you're listening right now
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00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:39,760
and you're struggling, please
know you are not alone.
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00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:42,440
There is no shame in needing
help.
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00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:47,360
There is real power in reaching
out for yourself and those who
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00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:50,280
love you.
Sometimes that call for help is
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00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:52,520
the difference between hope and
heartbreak.
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00:08:53,560 --> 00:08:57,280
Up next is Queen's Crown by the
Crown and Soul Collective, an
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00:08:57,680 --> 00:09:00,480
original song from the
soundtrack for the novel Price
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00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:04,800
of Silence by JC Reidberg.
Thank you for listening to No
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00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:07,960
Tears for Black Girls, this is
Samantha Paul.
153
00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:11,320
Stay loved, stay blessed, and
stay safe.
154
00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:38,920
Build my Kingdom with these
healing hands, Each woman's
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00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:44,200
crown restored with care, While
outside they count the missing
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00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:51,640
sisters whose stories never make
the evening air sail on.
157
00:09:51,840 --> 00:09:56,840
Bearers tell the truth.
They hide each chair, holding
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00:09:57,800 --> 00:10:11,400
secrets they can't say.
I see beneath the makeup smears,
159
00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:26,800
feel the tremble when she takes
my head in this chair.
160
00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:31,440
Confessions deeper than church
pews.
161
00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:39,640
Some press spoken through the
things we can't name.
162
00:10:41,560 --> 00:10:47,440
I'm fixing grounds but missing
all the warnings.
163
00:10:47,440 --> 00:10:52,320
Fortune changed my hands but not
my sight.
164
00:10:52,520 --> 00:10:58,920
Thought I could save the world
but couldn't save myself.
165
00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:05,360
Sometimes silent, it speaks when
voices die.
166
00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:11,480
Numbers fell like blessings from
above.
167
00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:16,040
Thought I found my purpose.
Thought I'd found my love
168
00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:20,640
letters from behind bars.
Painted freedoms promise his
169
00:11:20,640 --> 00:11:27,360
words like honey hiding venom
inside my Kingdom built on truth
170
00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:32,920
became a prison as I fought for
others while losing myself.
171
00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:48,560
Now my spirit walks these
floors, My blood speaks louder
172
00:11:48,560 --> 00:11:57,240
than before.
Through coat it braids and
173
00:11:57,240 --> 00:12:05,560
hidden truth.
The Queen has fallen, but her
174
00:12:05,560 --> 00:12:20,560
message rose with back in choir
Legacy lives on through every
175
00:12:20,560 --> 00:12:27,880
crown nights earth.
The truth revealed at last sings
176
00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:39,880
to worry he still stands long
after I am born now I wasn't
177
00:12:40,680 --> 00:12:47,560
seeing what I could in my story
breaks the silence of the tomb
178
00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:55,280
the queen had to fall so others
learn to rise my.
00:00:01,960 --> 00:00:08,400
No tears for black girls when
they disappear, No tears for
2
00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:16,239
black girls like they were never
here, but we remember will speak
3
00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:19,040
their names.
I got stayed home early
4
00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:21,960
yesterday.
I got sent home early today by
5
00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:24,440
the same person.
I'm telling you, she's a bully.
6
00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:28,120
Today inside the 38th District
Court in East, .26 year old
7
00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:31,120
Athenee Badu Muhammad was
arraigned on 1st degree murder
8
00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:34,600
charges for stabbing and killing
her manager, 39 year old
9
00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:37,040
Jennifer Harris.
Prior to the stabbing, Muhammad
10
00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:40,000
was sent home by Harris for not
performing her work duties and
11
00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:42,680
told Harris I'll be back.
East Point police officers,
12
00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:45,880
during their swear to beforehand
revealed disturbing details
13
00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:48,160
about what appeared to be a
planned killing.
14
00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:50,480
Muhammad admitted that she
intended to kill Harris and
15
00:00:50,480 --> 00:00:53,600
stated that after she was sent
home, she drove to a nearby
16
00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:57,000
park, decided to come back and
stab Harris with a knife that
17
00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:58,280
she had it inside of her
vehicle.
18
00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:01,080
When Muhammad returned to stab
Harris, she entered the back
19
00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:04,000
entrance with a hood mask over
her face in an attempt to
20
00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:06,760
conceal her identity and
attempted to flee the scene
21
00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:09,320
after the stabbing but was
stopped by an armed customer.
22
00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,600
What's more disturbing, Mohammed
posted videos to social media
23
00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:16,160
saying she was fed up with her
manager for repeatedly sending
24
00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:18,640
her home from work.
Mohammed's defense attorney
25
00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:21,760
argued for a bond, which
prompted A fiery response from
26
00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:24,520
the prosecutor, who pointed out
Mohammed has a criminal history
27
00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:27,680
of stabbing.
The defendant does have a prior
28
00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:30,480
instance of at least one that
I'm aware that involved a
29
00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:34,720
stabbing, similar obviously to
the stabbing that occurred in
30
00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:38,040
this case involving a knife, for
I am asking at this time for no
31
00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:40,480
bond in this case.
There's a certain rhythm to
32
00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:43,760
mornings in East Point,
Michigan, a city perched on
33
00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:47,320
Detroit's northeastern edge,
where suburban calm meets the
34
00:01:47,320 --> 00:01:52,680
realities of daily struggle.
Here you'll find neat tree lined
35
00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:56,720
blocks, churches on every corner
and neighbors waving across
36
00:01:56,720 --> 00:01:59,520
their lawns.
But East Point is defined as
37
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much by its resilience as its
quiet streets, a place shaped by
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decades of working class grit,
shifting industries and, yes,
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the headlines that sometimes
spill over from Detroit.
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It's not the kind of city that
expects national attention.
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Most days are about making ends
meet, getting the kids off to
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school, clocking in for your
shift and trying to squeeze a
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little hope from life's daily
anxieties.
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East Point is built on the
ordinary, powered by the
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extraordinary strength of the
people who call it home.
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But on a quiet Thursday morning,
something happened inside a
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local McDonald's that shattered
the routine and sent shock waves
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far beyond those familiar
blocks.
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What began as another work day
ended in tragedy, one that would
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ripple through East Point and
beyond.
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Today we take you inside a story
of work, struggle, heartbreak,
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and the invisible burden so many
carry in modern America.
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Jennifer Harris, her friends
called her JAMA, was the kind of
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person who held everything
together even as life tried to
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tear her apart.
At 39, Jennifer was a mother of
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six, working double shifts at
the same McDonald's on 9 Mile
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Rd. for 15 years.
Her smile was her armor, her
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discipline legendary, her
compassion unbreakable.
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She was mother, father, provider
and friend to kids ranging from
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5 to 20.
Their father was behind bars, so
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Jennifer had to be everything.
For her, the job was never just
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a paycheck.
It was family, community,
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survival.
But not everyone saw Jennifer as
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00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:45,280
a friend.
Tension simmered between her and
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one employee, Afeni Badu
Muhammad.
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00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:52,760
Afeni, 26, was new to East
Point, drifting from state to
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00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:56,440
state, job to job, her past
marked by pain.
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Her social media was a storm of
music, rants against bullies and
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00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:03,840
cryptic posts about feeling
misunderstood.
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Darkness clung to her, both
online and off.
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Years earlier in Virginia, Afini
had been involved in another
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00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:15,120
stabbing.
Different state, same shadows.
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In the days before the tragedy,
Afini felt increasingly singled
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out at work.
Two days before the attack, she
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00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:26,920
vented on Instagram.
I got sent home early yesterday.
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I got sent home early today by
the same person.
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I'm telling you, she's a bully.
She needs to understand that
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just because she's a mother and
got children doesn't mean she
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can come in this store
disrespecting people.
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She can keep being a bully if
she wants to, but that shit is
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00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:44,240
going to catch up to her.
Afeni believed she was being
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00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:48,080
disrespected, targeted.
The divide between her and
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00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:51,400
Jennifer grew into a chasm,
deepened by resentments and
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00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:53,480
pains invisible to the outside
world.
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Then came July 10th, 2025.
Just before 8:00 AM, Jennifer
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00:04:59,840 --> 00:05:04,160
sent a Feeny home from her shift
staff heard a Feeny say, I'll be
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00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:07,000
back.
No one knew how dangerous that
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00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:11,200
promise would prove.
A Feeny left, drove to a nearby
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00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:14,440
park, and sat alone in her car,
rage building.
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She grabbed a knife she kept
hidden, pulled a mask over her
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face, and returned to
McDonald's, slipping in through
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the employee entrance.
Inside, the routine shattered in
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an instant.
Still masked, a Feeny rushed
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00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:32,480
behind the counter and attacked
Jennifer without warning. 15
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stab wounds, each one fueled by
unchecked anger and desperation.
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It happened in seconds.
Out in the drive through, a
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customer heard the screams, saw
the attack and acted fast.
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Armed and licensed, the customer
fired a warning shot, then
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00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:53,120
chased a feeny to her car and
held her at gunpoint until
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police arrived.
One person's quick thinking may
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have prevented an even greater
tragedy.
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Jennifer was rushed to the
hospital, but her injuries were
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00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:05,400
too severe.
She died doing what she'd always
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00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:07,880
done, working to give her
children a future.
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The news hit East Point and
Detroit like a tidal wave.
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Six children, now orphaned,
faced a loss too big to fathom.
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The McDonald's parking lot, once
a sight of morning greetings,
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became a place for vigils and
balloon releases.
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A GoFundMe was launched for
Jennifer's children.
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As neighbors, city leaders and
McDonald's owners mourned a loss
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too immense for words in court,
the horror came to light.
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Afani Muhammad was arraigned for
first degree premeditated murder
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and carrying a dangerous weapon
with unlawful intent.
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Her bond was set at $25 million
with strict conditions if
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posted.
She remains in Macomb County
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Jail awaiting her hearing.
More details emerged.
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Afini's past included another
stabbing in Virginia, while her
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00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:05,640
social media revealed spirals of
anger, paranoia and untreated
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00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:08,680
wounds.
Mental health advocates ask
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00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:11,440
tough questions.
What signs were missed?
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What help never came?
Online?
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The debate raged.
Some condemned Afani, others saw
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00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:21,280
her as a casualty of a broken
system.
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But none of it can bring
Jennifer back.
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No explanation, no sympathy, no
hashtag can heal the hole in her
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children's lives.
The story of Jennifer Harris and
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00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:37,040
Afini Muhammad is a warning, a
tragedy born of hidden
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struggles, invisible burdens,
and what happens when those
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00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:42,920
burdens finally break the
surface.
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00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:47,200
Let's pause to consider what
lies behind so many stories like
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this, workplace violence and
mental health.
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The truth is, most acts of
violence at work don't come out
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of nowhere.
They build in the shadows, in
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00:07:58,280 --> 00:08:02,560
silence, in people bottling up
hurt, fear, resentment, and
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00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:05,200
trauma until something finally
snaps.
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00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:08,920
In the Black community
especially, many of us are
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taught to push through, to work
twice as hard to survive.
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00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:16,920
But we're rarely taught how to
care for our mental health, to
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check in with ourselves or reach
out for help before things fall
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apart.
The stigma is heavy, like a
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00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:28,400
chain against seeking therapy or
simply admitting I'm not OK.
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That silence can be deadly, not
just for us, but for everyone
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around us.
If you're listening right now
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00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:39,760
and you're struggling, please
know you are not alone.
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There is no shame in needing
help.
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There is real power in reaching
out for yourself and those who
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love you.
Sometimes that call for help is
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00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:52,520
the difference between hope and
heartbreak.
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Up next is Queen's Crown by the
Crown and Soul Collective, an
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original song from the
soundtrack for the novel Price
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of Silence by JC Reidberg.
Thank you for listening to No
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00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:07,960
Tears for Black Girls, this is
Samantha Paul.
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Stay loved, stay blessed, and
stay safe.
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00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:38,920
Build my Kingdom with these
healing hands, Each woman's
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crown restored with care, While
outside they count the missing
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sisters whose stories never make
the evening air sail on.
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Bearers tell the truth.
They hide each chair, holding
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secrets they can't say.
I see beneath the makeup smears,
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00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:26,800
feel the tremble when she takes
my head in this chair.
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Confessions deeper than church
pews.
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Some press spoken through the
things we can't name.
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00:10:41,560 --> 00:10:47,440
I'm fixing grounds but missing
all the warnings.
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Fortune changed my hands but not
my sight.
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00:10:52,520 --> 00:10:58,920
Thought I could save the world
but couldn't save myself.
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Sometimes silent, it speaks when
voices die.
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00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:11,480
Numbers fell like blessings from
above.
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00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:16,040
Thought I found my purpose.
Thought I'd found my love
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letters from behind bars.
Painted freedoms promise his
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words like honey hiding venom
inside my Kingdom built on truth
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00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:32,920
became a prison as I fought for
others while losing myself.
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00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:48,560
Now my spirit walks these
floors, My blood speaks louder
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00:11:48,560 --> 00:11:57,240
than before.
Through coat it braids and
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00:11:57,240 --> 00:12:05,560
hidden truth.
The Queen has fallen, but her
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00:12:05,560 --> 00:12:20,560
message rose with back in choir
Legacy lives on through every
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00:12:20,560 --> 00:12:27,880
crown nights earth.
The truth revealed at last sings
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00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:39,880
to worry he still stands long
after I am born now I wasn't
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00:12:40,680 --> 00:12:47,560
seeing what I could in my story
breaks the silence of the tomb
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00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:55,280
the queen had to fall so others
learn to rise my.
