Community
A Peachtree Corners Perspective: Finding Support in Difficult Times
Abby Zenon is a Peachtree Corners resident and fiercely loving mother that probably reminds you of many other great young mothers in the community. But Abby sometimes faces challenges that others might not, simply because her family is biracial. With the political unrest and riots across the country related to racial issues, family and friends have wracked their brains about how to show their support for the Zenon Family.
Close friend Amy Sullins of Amy-Cole Photography reached out to Zenon to take a small collection of gorgeous photos of the Zenon family and share it on her business page. On June 3, Amy posted on Abby’s behalf about the fear she has experienced, which we will relay a shortened version of.
Amy: It’s time to rise. I talked to my friend, Abby, a lot on Sunday. I wanted to have a deeper understanding of how she was feeling. Out of that conversation birthed a post she has written for me to share with you. Tony and Abby are not only dear friends, they are members of our church body. As you can see, they’re a couple who love beyond the color of their skin. We have a lot to learn from their marriage and story.
Abby: Tony and I have been together for ten years, married the last four. We met on campus at Georgia Tech, our freshman year. Tony was raised in New Orleans and I was raised in the suburbs of Atlanta. Our backgrounds are opposite, but we were raised by loving parents who taught us to love like Jesus no matter how the love looked.
As I begin to write, the reality of what is happening sinks in deep. My Dad called my husband, Tony, to make sure we were heading home. He knew we went to the pool that afternoon. His call was one of concern. There was a protest about to occur three miles from our home. In that moment, we felt like we were living a nightmare. This is hell! The two recent deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery have forever changed my family and our country. We are broken! I believe the saddest part for me, is that racism has always been here. It’s just now, where cameras are at our disposal, everyone is seeing it for themselves and it is igniting a fire.
And as of today, I really fear for my husband when he takes a drive or goes for a run alone.
I want to make statements that I am sure you’ve heard, but I want to restate for emphasis in this post. Not all blacks are criminals, not all whites are racist, not all cops are bad, and ignorance comes in all colors. It is a time for education. Talk to people or friends from another race and ask them about their background. Many people are raised in a community where their race is a majority. When this happens, they are never taught about other races and cultures. I believe that no one is born racist, but it’s a taught behavior.
To shed more light on my husband’s story and race, here are just a few of Tony’s experiences. While still living in New Orleans, Tony witnessed his uncle being handcuffed in front of him and the police placed drugs on him, during the arrest. Tony was also a victim to Hurricane Katrina. The hurricane displaced his family and they moved to Albany, GA; a town where the population is known for racism. Tony played high school football there. As he played, several different teams would call the players the “N” word.
And even now, as a married couple, we have gotten several dirty looks (even in church) and have been overlooked because we are a biracial couple. That changes at times when they discover that Tony played college football. It’s strange how they love us then. As a white person, I’ve observed that racist whites love you on the field, but hate you off of the field.
Since the beginning, several friends have reached out to me asking for a better understanding and to teach them how they can better pray and teach their family. It’s time to wake up. Black people are treated differently because of their color. They shouldn’t have to protest to be heard. Nothing will change until those that aren’t affected become effective.
Amy Sullins’ SHORTENED FACEBOOK POST
When asked about her reasons for speaking up, Abby said “The world right now is forcing people to deal with their hearts and where they stand. My husband and I are normally not the type to speak about sensitive social, political things going on in the world but for once I spoke to him and he said Please.”
She went on to say she has received an outpouring of support and concern from friends and neighbors, and no direct backlash, but with two young daughters it is daunting to prepare them for the harsh realities they will eventually face.
It’s hard to know what the right thing to say or do is in such a charged political climate, but it costs us nothing to be kind. Thank you for reminding us of that, Zenon family.
For the Facebook posting in its entirety, visit Amy-Cole Photography on Facebook.
