Bromeshia Sims was known to most people simply as Meshia.
Like many teenagers, the Drew native had her share of struggles and trials, but she never stopped smiling, and she never stopped fighting, her sister Leria Wallace told The Enterprise-Tocsin.
Meshia should have been one of the dozens of graduates walking across the stage and receiving her high school diploma with the Edwards High Class of 2025, but instead, it was Leria, walking in honor of her late sister, who was one of three victims in an April 24 triple homicide in the small town of Drew.
Leria carried a large photo of Meshia and embraced Edwards Principal Eric Lakes as her sister’s name was called with the rest of her class.
“I walked for my sister, because my sister was unable to walk for herself, and I know how much she did want to graduate,” Leria said.
Along with Meshia, Aquilla Wallace and Kamaya Sims, Leria’s mother and other sister, were found deceased at their Drew residence early that April morning, apparent victims of homicide.
Kamaya, Leria said, was a young mother.
Aquilla, according to friends, was a cancer survivor who lived life to the fullest. She always had a smile on her face, and she was always making jokes.
Even though raising children and dealing with health issues could be challenging, she never lost her joy.
“She overcame so much,” Leria said, fighting to hold back her emotions when talking about her mother.
Meshia had her mother’s smile, but the journey through her high school years was tough. When she passed away, she was attending the alternative school in Indianola, her sister said.
“She had a joyful spirit,” Leria said. “She always had a smile on her face. She didn’t talk much, but at the same time, she was a troubled kid.”
On May 24, Meshia would have had a diploma and a clean slate.
“She was ready to walk across the stage,” Leria said. “She’s been through a lot. She’s been to alternative school. She was ready to graduate with her class.”
Even though Meshia was not physically present at the Edwards commencement, Leria made sure that she was there in spirit and that she will always be part of the Class of 2025.
She is fighting for her sister’s legacy the same way that Meshia faced life’s many challenges.
“She fought,” Leria said. “She never stopped fighting. She never gave up.”
