Listening to Black Gun Violence Prevention Advocates Helped Me Realize I Was Never Alone
2.9.2024
I joined Moms Demand Action six years ago, and I am driven by the goal that we will one day come up with a solution that will keep our communities safe from gun violence.
One of the key things we can do in this movement is to educate our communities on gun safety and awareness. Black voices in our communities are very important to spread the word about gun violence prevention. Seventy-one percent of Black adults—or someone they know or care about—have experienced gun violence in their lifetimes. Having more diversity in leadership and training about gun violence prevention means that we are listening to the people who are most affected by the U.S. gun violence crisis.
As a survivor of gun violence, I know that the trauma of gun violence can impact entire communities, not just the families that directly experience it. Anyone who is advocating to continue empowering communities that have been deeply impacted by trauma should do their best to take time for self-care and healing.
For me, taking care of myself in this work means being in community by participating in Moms Demand Action Black Caucus group meetings. In these meetings, I have been able to listen to how other people were handling similar situations that I had once faced but now I am no longer experiencing. Hearing other people helped me realize that I was not alone in my experience as a gun violence survivor—and that I never had been. Participating in the Caucus group and working with Moms Demand Action showed me that I can actually be a listening ear for someone if I need to be.
