This website is geared toward the unification of Black Americans who have been impacted by gun violence. Through stories of survival, letters of love, recalled memories and pictures, everyday people can share their truth and create a community of strength around them.
In a world, where our voices are often overlooked and silenced, this space empowers families to provide reflections about the men and women who lost their lives to gun violence.
I want to bring voice to my Black brothers and sisters who have been silenced by the trauma and the act of gun violence. I understand that recalling memories, peering back into a door that was once shut is painful; however, there is healing on the other side and power in mending our collective hearts - for ourselves and for our communities.
The stories that make up this project and the space I am creating for gun violence survivors have the ability to transform communities by providing an outlet to discuss gun violence and its implications. Maybe this output would allow someone to reconsider the use of gun violence, and instead come to a harmless resolution because now the victims have faces - faces of parents, siblings, family members, etc. The project serves and is for:
The Black family member writing about your loved one. My hope is that creating this space for us to tell our stories will bring a small layer of closure. It will give space to reframe our loved ones in the light that we saw them, not the light that the world saw them.
Black gun violence survivors. This project can serve as a reminder that many people experience similar trauma, and that we have a community of people with shared experiences supporting you - we feel each other’s pain, and we love each other through it.
The Black person reading this. We will remain steadfast in our resilience and will continue the fight against the systems that suppress and oppress us.
The gun carrier. I pray this project moves you in a mighty way, one that encourages you to reconsider how you manage anger and conflict - instead of picking up a gun, use your words.
If you are Black, do not give white supremacists what they want, another Black body on the inside or 6ft under. You are more than the Black plight. Expand your understanding and knowledge so you know why things are the way they are.
This website does not intentionally call out details of each person’s crime or name the assailants. This space is for collective healing through memories of love. I also want to aim to maintain the safety of each family represented.