Jaheem Herrera Laid to Rest

Lest we forget why the Matthew Shepard Act is so important, we should all remember another big event that took place this week. Jaheem Herrera, one of the boys who recently committed suicide after enduring months of anti-gay slurs and physical abuse at school, was buried yesterday near his family’s home in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.

A little girl stands on tiptoe to see her friend.

Today, children solemnly filed into the church, clad in the school uniforms worn at the public elementary school Jaheem attended on St. Croix before moving to Atlanta less than a year ago. Some were in tears as they said their last goodbyes to a former schoolmate.

Masika Bermudez, Jaheem’s mother, greeted well-wishers with a sad smile and a hug before breaking down in loud, gasping sobs as the body of her eldest child and only son was wheeled past her in a gleaming white coffin with gold trim.

“Jaheem,” she cried as family members crowded around to comfort her. Jaheem’s stepfather and his three younger sisters held on to her, encouraging her to sit down. Yet, she clung to Jaheem’s lifeless body, smoothing his hair and whispering in his ear as she fiddled with the gold cross around his neck.

Jaheem was eulogized in a bilingual service as a loving, sweet and wonderful son, grandson, nephew and friend. An aunt, Ama Bermudez, recalled the time he spent living on the island with his grandparents and how their recent deaths affected him.

“He lost his beloved abuela [grandmother] six months ago, and it struck him hard because he was very, very attached to her and all of a sudden she was no longer there,” Ama Bermudez said.

She described Jaheem as a talented boy with a fascination for wrestling and a passion for dancing and drawing.

“He loved drawing and was very good at it,” Ama Bermudez said. “I believe he would have become an excellent artist, but now we will never know.”

His aunt urged mourners and the children in attendance to not let Jaheem’s death be in vain.

“I call upon all the parents and children out there; don’t allow anyone to bully you in any which way or form,” she said. “There must be a person you can trust to tell. You must put a stop to this immediately so that the reason we are here today won’t happen again. We are all hurting, but in spite of the circumstances, Jaheem is now resting. He’s not suffering anymore.”

His former classmates at the Evelyn M. Williams Elementary School on St. Croix performed a pantomime to the lyrics of “One Sweet Day” as sung by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men and wrote a poem in honor of their friend.

“Jaheem, thank you for being our friend and thank you for sharing our love with us,” the poem read. “Rest in peace and we will see you again.”

In a final show of solidarity, Jaheem’s family and friends followed the hearse to his burial site farther down the hill. The blue and white balloons that decorated the church had been distributed to the children in attendance and were released simultaneously in the air during the graveside ceremony. The brisk island trade winds carried them higher and farther away until they were mere specks in the distance, leaving behind Masika Bermudez’s muffled screams to pierce the silence as Jaheem’s coffin was finally lowered into the ground and covered with the first sprinklings of dirt.

Word is that Jaheem’s family won’t be returning to the United States. I can’t say I blame them.