In light of recent events, I had initially decided to remain silent on the issues brought front and center this week. Whether it was in fear of being labeled "ignorant" by some or "weak" by others, I had accepted the fact that perhaps my silence was better than a misplaced opinion on social media.

Only recently, however, did I realize that my chosen silence was in fact - a luxury.

I have never been afraid to walk down the street because of the clothes I’m wearing or the color of my skin, but there are countless people who are. The lives of those who were taken from us far too soon have been forced to stay silent forever. And while I personally have never feared for my life after getting pulled over by an officer of the law, there are those who have always been afraid, and until some met their unjust demise by the very officer set to protect and serve our communities, they have been forced to be silent forever. And while I have never been brave enough to put a uniform on my back and a badge of honor on my chest, there are those who serve our communities tirelessly, and as we saw this week, they too were discriminately targeted and slain - forced to be silent. Forever.

To choose to remain silent is simply to give up one's voice. There are millions of Americans who would die to be heard - as too many of them already have. Our right to be silent was stripped away as soon as citizens of our nation were stripped of their right to live - solely based on the color of their skin or the color of their uniform.

I’ve seen the passion of so many individuals on social media, using hashtags like #BlackLivesMatter and #BlueLivesMatter, and while some will argue that these are divisive and aren’t inclusive enough, others will argue that each movement brings their respective communities together - but I’m not here to argue for one or the other. It's quite reasonable to agree and disagree with aspects of both. But agreeing with one movement and undermining another accomplishes nothing.

What I’m asking for isn’t easy, and it isn’t for everybody, but if you’re as determined to ensure liberty and justice for all as you are on your Facebook posts, you know that actions speak louder than words. I, for one, am tired of hearing "something needs to be done," and then going back to what we were already doing as if nothing ever happened. So let’s actually do something. Let’s initiate a community-led discussion with our law enforcement agencies and public officials to bridge the gap once and for all and soothe the sentiments that have dominated the national conversation for the past week.

The ARCH Initiative, or Actions for Reuniting the Communities of Houston, will be a non-profit community organization that will go beyond party-lines in an effort to create a prolonged conversation throughout our city on the topics that concern us heavily, whether it’s police relations, government transparency, or any other issue. We cannot sit back and wait until another national tragedy happens in our own backyard to come together. In order to create a positive change, you’ve got to start with building relationships from within. And in order to create a circle of trust, you’ve gotta start with an arch. I could not resist the pun. I encourage you to join me in making this organization a reality. Just because we’re young, doesn’t mean we can’t accomplish great things. Let’s show the world that maybe we’re not the entitled generation they think we are. Thank you all for watching, I hope to hear from some of you in the days to come, and as always, God bless America.