On October 25, 2014, my 24-year-old son, Cory Michael Crowe, nicknamed “ACE,” was fatally injured, and I was critically wounded. Ace received a death sentence that day, and I got a life sentence — a life without my son. Cory was an ambitious, compassionate, joyous, loving, outgoing, funny, generous, trusting, and handsome young father of one. He enjoyed football, and his dream was to own his own barber college. His homicide remains unsolved nearly ten years later. He was shot and killed inside a car at 25th and Standard Avenue in Louisville, Kentucky, near an abandoned, dilapidated house.
A month after Cory’s life was taken, overwhelmed by sadness, I logged onto my son’s Instagram page to reminisce about the things he had posted. I stumbled upon a post that spoke directly to my soul. It read, “Every mother on earth gave birth to a child. Except my mother, she gave birth to a legend. High five, Mom.” I knew at that moment I would honor my son’s memory by starting a nonprofit organization called The ACE Project (Acting Compassionately Everyday), which embodies Cory’s spirit.
Not only did I start a nonprofit, but I also purchased the abandoned property that was an eyesore and a place of illegal activity, and transformed it into a community center and a safe place for those impacted by gun violence and trauma.
I refuse to let my pain be wasted. I am shattered but I refuse to be silent. You silenced my son, so I will be his voice.