Chicago teenager Malik Bryant wrote a letter to Santa Claus this year asking for “safety,” but his note ended up intercepted by President Barack Obama.
Bryant’s letter was sent out to Chicago residents by the nonprofit DirectEffect Charities, in an effort to grant Christmas wishes of children living in the inner city, the Chicago Sun-Times reported this week.
But the charity’s CEO Michelle DiGiacomo was “floored” by Bryant’s note and plucked it out for a special delivery, she told the Sun-Times. She contacted her congressman, Rep. Michael Quigley (D-IL), who managed to pass the letter along to the White House.
“Someone bigger than Santa needed to see this letter. I thought the president of the United States needed to see it,” DiGiacomo told the paper.
Here’s Bryant’s letter:
Dear Santa:
I would like to ask you sum[thing] but first imma tell you about me. I’m a black African American. I stand 5’10 I’m in 7th grade. My favorite subject is math. I have 2 siblings living with me and I’m the only boy on my Mom’s side of my family. But anyway all I ask for is for safety. I just wanna be safe.
On Saturday, the teenager received this letter from President Obama:
Dear Malik:
I want to offer you a few words of encouragement this holiday season.Each day, I strive to ensure communities like yours are safe places to dream, discover, and grow. Please know your security is a priority for me in everything I do as President. If you dare to be bold and creative, work hard every day, and care for others, I’m confident you can achieve anything you imagine.
I wish you and your family the very best for the coming year, and I will be rooting for you.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
The Chicago charity also gave Bryant a Wii game console and a new computer — but as he told the Sun-Times, a letter from Barack Obama was the standout item.
“I’m excited the president of the United States wrote to me, and I can’t wait to show it off,” Bryant told the paper.
Watch Malik open and read the letter from the President, via the Chicago Sun-Times:
