As someone who has been on both sides of gun violence, and now is an advocate for victims, survivors and families, it saddens my heart to see so many young people entering the juvenile justice system without a clear understanding of why they make decisions that will impact their lives and the community forever.
With the relationship I have with Everytown, I have been able to go into the hard hit communities of Richmond and speak with families, victims, and survivors, giving them an understanding that we care and that it’s love and support for those who need it.
To have a young man call me “Uncle,” then help me pass out food to the unhoused, then ask to be a mentor…then to receive a phone call to check on that young man, to see him lying dead under a tarp in the middle of the street is very hard and something that drives me every day to do the work for the people. I was asked to speak at his funeral and to carry his body to the hearse. To then hug his mom, kids, and family, was very hard on my mind!