ABILENE, TX– Let us Breathe was founded in 2020 in direct response to the national rise of unarmed Black Americans dying at the hands of police.
“It began to be like a norm for us to turn on our TVs and see a Black man shot seven times in the back. We needed action,” says Let Us Breathe Cofounder and President Shawnte Fleming.
Since its inception, the organization has held parades, peaceful protests, fundraisers, and even a citywide Juneteenth celebration.
Now nearly a year later the organization has purchased a home in the Stevenson Park area to act as their headquarters.
“It’s just a blessing to be able to have a house in the same community where we started”, says cofounder and secretary Darla Mayes.
The Stevenson Park area has been a traditionally Black neighborhood in Abilene, and as such, Let Us Breathe has worked to improve this often overlooked part of our city.
“We want to show Abilene that this isn’t the stereotype of the bad part of town” says Fleming.
The house was purchased out of Fleming’s own pocket, a commitment showing her passion for their cause.
“It will come and it will go, we don’t want to get caught up in money, you know. We just want to make things happen,” Fleming said.
The former residence now needs upgrades to its windows, doors, and minor decorative aspects. All of which Fleming, Mayes, and their volunteers will undertake.
“If I could buy all my windows and doors right now I’d be broke. But I need to pace myself, this is a marathon, not a sprint,” says Fleming.
Let Us Breathe hopes to run their operations out of the building as well as house a youth outreach program, community computer center, credit counseling, and even assist in getting records expunged.
“We want to be that centralized hub that we can reach out to, to help people get the help that they need,” Fleming says.
The next major event coming from Let Us Breathe is their Juneteenth 2021 celebration, to which all of Abilene is invited.
