RIP Eric!
Yesterday, I learned that one of our young ADAPT members, Eric Roybal, of Denver, passed away on Friday, December 14, 2007. He was 18 years old. Eric, and his older brother, Andrew were members of a rap group called D-4 Dub. I’m not into rap, but they wrote a song for ADAPT called “Free Our People”, that is really good. Eric was a quiet kind of guy, a bit shy, but he was fearless, had a heart of gold, and was a great musician.
Eric had Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy, and so does Andrew, but they were ordinary teenagers, who were taken in by their aunt, so that they could live at home, rather than an institution. Eric and his brother both won awards for their service to their community through their disability activism. They wrote and performed rap music, speaking of themselves, their fears, their love for their neighborhood, their city, and ordinary things that teenagers go through. They were proud and excited to be a part of ADAPT. Eric told me that with ADAPT, he felt like he was “doing something good for civil rights, like Martin Luther King”.
I know that Andrew is really going through it now. He and Eric were so close. They were best friends, and when you saw one, you usually saw the other. I still hope to see him in Washington, DC this April for the ADAPT gathering, and 25th anniversary. I am hoping that as he goes through the mourning process, he will come to realize that one way to carry on his brother’s memory will be to keep music and ADAPT in his life.
Rest in Peace Eric!
December 30th, 2007 at 3:40 am
I am so sad to hear that! I know he must be devastated.