Rajaan Bennett's Essay

"Strength" by Rajaan Bennett

Rajaan wrote this essay in his Multi-Cultural Literature class on February 10, eight days before he was the victim of a murder-suicide in his north Georgia residence.


Somebody once told me that, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13). Life hasn't been a walk in the park for me, but I'm thankful for the obstacles, hardships, and accomplishments that GOD has provided for me. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be the Rajaan Bennett that you know today. I wouldn't have things any other way.

Strength is the ability to do or bear things in the state of being strong.

In the year of 2000, I moved from the streets of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, to the suburbs of Powder Springs, Georgia. A year later, my dad died in a horrible car wreck, and as a ten year-old, I knew he wasn't coming back. This tragedy rattled me to the core. I felt as if there was no need for me to live. I wanted to be as happy as the kids with dads and moms.

Some days I would wonder - why me? But eventually, I realized that it was my turn to become a man. As I became older, I came to notice that in life you use strength as a blanket to protect you from this cold world.

I am the oldest of 3 and I have a brother with special needs who I have to take care of. I have to balance school, sports, friends, and family - and it gets so hard, but I push myself. I push myself like a sprinter who is neck and neck with an opponent with 10 meters left. With the strength that I posses, I feel like I'm Hercules.

I matured faster than all of my friends - and there will never be a time that I will give up. I may complain, I may refuse, and I may even cry about it, but I know I have to do what I have to do.

I work hard at whatever I do - just for that man upstairs to smile down on me with the rays of the sun ...and they feel so warm. My drive cannot be stopped or even slowed down, because every obstacle has a way around it. Every day I become stronger from the weights physically, the books mentally, and life emotionally.

There is no limit to my strength and at the end of the day, I want to be known as the strongest.

Thousands of friends and well-wishers celebrated the life of the McEachern High School senior and Vanderbilt football signee during a moving and emotional memorial service held Wednesday night at the school. Click Here to Read More

Photo courtesy of Curtis Compton, AJC.com

Bennett memorial service on Wednesday

by Barca Blog

Here's the latest update on Rajaan Bennett's memorial service and funeral, courtesy of Michael Carvell from the Atlanta Journal Constitution:

McEachern High School will have a memorial service at 7 p.m. Wednesday for Rajaan Bennett, the recent Vanderbilt football signee who was shot to death last Thursday.

Visitation has been tentatively planned for 6-8 p.m. on Friday, with the Bennett’s funeral the next day at 11 a.m. Saturday — both at First Baptist Church of Powder Springs. However, the venue could be changed to Trinity Chapel Church of God because it has a larger sanctuary.

Since the tragedy, we've read story after story about what an extraordinary young man Rajaan was to his family and community. You can really see it in the following video, which took place during his junior year at McEachern. 

I've watched the clip 20-30 times since last Thursday. It just hurts to think about why he had to lose his life for such a senseless crime.

Funeral fund for Rajaan Bennett

Courtesy of Michael Carvell, Atlanta Journal Constitution

McEachern High School has set up a fund for anyone who wants to contribute toward the funeral arrangements of football star Rajaan Bennett, who died on Thursday.

The recent Vanderbilt football signee was the victim of an apparent murder-suicide in his north Georgia residence.


To donate, please send checks made out to the McEachern Endowment Fund with “Rajaan Bennett Memorial” written in the bottom left corner. McEachern High School’s address is 2400 New Macland Road, Powder Springs, GA 30127. For more information, please call 770-222-3710.

Click to Read More

Video: Johnson's remarks on Rajaan Bennett

To read the official press release, click here.