I'm having a little trouble finding an appropriate intro here, so I'll just try to let this speak for itself.
Thirteen year old Malik Bryant didn't ask Santa for a bike or a video game this Christmas. He really only wanted one thing:
“Dear Santa: I would like to ask you sum[thing] but first Imma tell you about me. Im a black African American … My favorite subject is math. I have 2 siblings living with me and Im the only boy on my Moms side of my family. But anyway all I ask for is for safety. I just wanna be safe...[.]”
Malik lives in the neighborhood of Englewood on Chicago's South Side. According to his mother he rarely goes outside because the area is dominated by gang violence and riddled with shootings. Malik himself
has seen the bodies of teens killed by gang violence around his home. He can't ride his bike or play ball in his neighborhood because of the constant danger.
“Malik doesn’t really go outside. He has to hear from me all the time telling him he can’t stay out too long because it’s too dangerous,” the boy’s mother told the Sun-Times. “Sometimes he wants to go over to my sister’s house nearby, to hang out with his cousins, but he can’t because he has to cross gang lines and walk past all these gang members on some of those blocks. And all he ever hears on the news about our neighborhood is shootings, gangs and violence. Malik knows he’s not safe.”
The
letter Malik wrote was given to DirectEffect, a Chicago-based charity that provides gifts to underprivileged kids who write to Santa. The organization's director passed it on to Democratic Representative Mike Quigley, whose staff sent it up the chain to the President.
President Obama responded to Malik's letter on December 22d:
"I want to offer you a few words of encouragement this holiday season," began the letter, dated Dec. 22.
The letter continues: "Each day I strive to ensure communities like yours are safe places to dream, discover, and grow. Please know your security is a priority for me in everything I do as President. If you dare to be bold and creative, work hard every day, and care for others, I'm confident you can achieve anything you can imagine. I wish you and your family the very best in the coming year, and I will be rooting for you.
Sincerely, Barack Obama."
Malik's mother was thrilled that the President had taken the time to write to her son:
“I’m just overwhelmed,” his mother said. “I still can’t believe it. How fantastic that out of all the problems he has in the world, the president took the time out to write a letter concerning about my son. I mean wow, what a Christmas.”
Malik was happy too, but his reaction was more circumspect:
Malik appeared to appreciate the letter from Obama's office, but balanced it with perspective. "I'm surprised he wrote it, but it's not going to solve safety [problems] out here." he said. "It's still dangerous."
Video of Malik Bryant opening the President's letter:
Happy New Year.