It was maybe my 3rd day working at Millbrook High School. Nobody knew me or even what job I was there to do. I was just walking through the school trying to build relationships with the students and I ran into this short brown skinned young man. He was sitting with a group of his friends and everyone spoke to me while they were sitting down except this one kid. He stood up and approached me and said "who are you?" in a tone of voice as if he was checking me lol.. I laughed and told him who I was and then he told me "I'm Tahje".
If you read that and took it as the kid stood up and disrespected me, you're completely wrong. I loved that Tahje stepped up like he did and it was the one thing I will always remember about him. He wasn't shy to speak up and do his own thing. He wasn't a follower, he was the life of just about every circle I saw him in while he was in high school. I worked with him directly helping him navigate high school as a teenager and he and I, as well as his friends, got very close.
On July 4, 2014, Tahje Mials lost his life before even graduating high school. One of those young men who he hung out with called me that night and it was some of the worst news I have ever gotten. I dealt with mixed emotions that night but the worst of them all was feeling like I had failed one of the kids that I tried to help. Ultimately, I understand GOD is in control and we have to accept death as a part of life. I couldn't sleep that night so I used the time to write how I was feeling. That writing became a song I titled "My Young Bul". I wrote and recorded it the same night and initially didn't plan to release it, but in hindsight I'm glad I did.
His birthday just passed, June 1, and I wish he was here to celebrate it with us. However, his group of friends have made sure his name lives on in a positive way. The 4 young men who are featured on my song "Young Bro" have formed a yearly event called "Tahje Day", where they reserved the park next to the high school they attended and provide a nice environment for family fun, young adults, and everyone else to enjoy.
This year's Tahje Day will feature a basketball tournament, a food truck, and musical performances that I am blessed to be a part of. The event will be this Saturday, June 4, 2022 from 3pm-7pm. The rest of the details of this event are on the flyers below. Come out and be a part of a great event for our youth by our youth...
Long live Tahje...