Full disclosure

I worked with the committee for the 15-year and the 20-year, successfully. For the 20-year reunion, I was over the committee for decor and souvenirs. I nominated my company, Atlanta T-Shirt Queen, a t-shirt and promotional products company. In addition to just nominating my company, I created a pitch deck, showed live samples, and did a presentation for the committee. They voted and I won the bid for my proposal.

When the power of my committee was unjustly stripped and the ability to select the decor vendor were stripped, I privately aired my grievance. 

When a Cass Tech 2003 classmate was removed from consideration to vend, despite her company doing excellent work and her being very flexible with pricing, in favor of a non-CT03 with less experience in that area, I privately aired my grievance.

And finally, when they reneged on the deal to source promotional products from my company (as voted on), did not properly communicate a final decision, and did not open up an opportunity for me to be competitive or price-match, I privately aired my grievance.

Despite being mishandled the entire time, I delivered for my classmates. Everyone who I received a t-shirt order for, had their order fulfilled. I literally gave the shirt off my back because I did not feel that it was appropriate for the planning committee to be gleefully sporting their shirts, knowing that there were people in our class who had not been ordered for. Also, in spite of my personal feelings about how monies appropriated to my company had been taken from me, I still took the high road post-reunion. When the committee needed more shirts, instead of saying find another vendor, I thought of my classmates instead and continued to work with integrity and grace and delivered.

Coming off of the high of the 20th, we tossed ideas of cruises and get-togethers to come. I pitched an Old School Detroit Players Ball planned down to the outfits and complete with a mood board for an eventual, collective 40th birthday in a couple of years. Every time someone asked if it was still happening, I commented that, yes, it was. So, imagine my surprise when a Players Ball was being planned but I had been left out of the planning!!!

Fourth Grievance. Public. This is when many people entered the chat. I called out behavior publicly and assertively. Why? Because I was honestly hurt. Another reason is because it is only so long someone can keep pissing in your face and telling you that it's raining. I also do not believe in remaining silent and protecting people who continually cause harm to you…In an effort for others to do damage-control, my comments about my truth started being removed. As a journalist, I believe censorship is wrong. I now understand that without context, people have drawn conclusions about my character, but if we look at the track record you will find that I have no enemy's past or present in CT03 and I have always been collaborative with my classmates for the last 20+ years. Although I never called anyone out of their name or disrespected anyone, it was not well received. I think it is easier to buy into an angry Black woman narrative or buy into a narrative of a seemingly more popular girl cyberbullying a seemingly less-popular one. This is true nonsense. In high school, I was the person who literally had friends from all walks of life and was never a part of a clique. I do not believe and have never believed in treating anyone poorly. I will never NOT [double-negative] advocate for treating people fairly and justly and that includes standing up for myself when I feel others are actively mistreating me.

Active Mistreatment. 

- The 20-year committee said publicly that contact info for our class would be provided but privately it was withheld. So, while I was fine to be a part of the 15-year committee and 20-year committee and was entrusted with people's info and money, I was told that our classmates now did not trust me to have their contact info. 

- I created a work-around, I created a gmail and directed folks who were interested to volunteer me their contact info. That email was reported to Google as a fraud email. It was taken back by Google and had to go under a review and investigation to prove that it was legitimate.

-Shadow banning. After the public fallout, private conversations were had. It was decided that I would be allowed to execute the vision I had all along. I thought the drama chapter of this whole ordeal was over. Imagine my surprise when my attempted posts about the Ball were taken down….

The Cool Kids. Without contact info for the class, I was left to only inviting the people who I am still personally connected to. So, while I have been painted as an elitist who only wanted certain classmates at this function, the truth is the vast majority of the class has been excluded by my inability to contact them because of the gatekeeping of critical data. This was always supposed to be a CT03 event where all were welcome. Any exclusion of individuals is because of a decision made by others who did not feel that I or the 40 Ball Committee had the legitimacy to run an event for the CT03s that was not being put on by the now-elected or self-appointed CT03 Class Officials. 

Throughout this process I had to collect personal info the old-fashioned way, and I was “forced” to call people on the phone. I looked at it as a punishment. The truth is, it was a blessing. In the reconnections, I heard death, grief, financial woes, failed relationships and new loves, and about our kids. Life is so so so so very short. I value all of those conversations, and my prayer list is now on-jam, lol. I am grateful to have had those chats. It is unfortunate that in the behind-the-scenes attempts to punish Johnita, WE as a collective, have been robbed of an opportunity to be together, cast our worries aside for a night, and create more memories.

In closing, 40 is teaching me that life can be simple. Love who loves you. Control your controllables. Do not give your energy away because it is limited, etc. I used to dream of a time where I could be philanthropic, and this was it… A lot of time, personal money, and energy were put into putting together an absolutely top tier experience for all of my classmates. In my mind, every classmate who has a business would be included. Unfortunately, it did not turn out that way…As humans, when something fails our first reaction is embarrassment but for this one I KNOW my heart was in the right place. I didn't need to relive childhood and I had a fabulous 40th…I had no ulterior motives for trying to bring us together. I can truly say that this was a passion project that was all for the love. With that, my head is held high!  Although strides toward reconciliation have been made, the reconciliation came too little too late. Also, unfortunately, an apology could not undo the irreparable harm done to my reputation or to this event. Thank you to all of my committee's help and for all those who purchased tickets. Ful refunds have been issued. I will see everyone in 2028 or 2033. Best…