A gaggle of people amassed at Living Waters Park in east Fort Worth on Saturday afternoon to commemorate family members misplaced to violence, percentage assets, and heal. The circle of contributors, keeping palms, shared the names in their family members or phrases of encouragement within the healing vigil that marked the fruits of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. The match used to be timed to coincide with different vigils around the nation.
“They say like hurt people hurt people, but healed people can heal people,” mentioned Keevy Wilkerson. “And when you have them all together, you can do something about it. You can make some sort of impact and change.” Wilkerson’s brother used to be killed in 2007. Since then, she has remodeled her “pain into power” by means of taking part in Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, a gaggle that advocates for crime victims and promotes public protection insurance policies.
Wilkerson defined that when talking with lawmakers, she spotted that once they listen about crime statistics, it’s only numbers to them. However, once they meet people impacted by means of crime, it humanizes the information for them. She mentioned, “One of our taglines is ‘When survivors speak, change happens,’ and it does. Because we have to have the seat at the table because it’s impacting us.”
Melinda Hamilton created the Mothers of Murdered Angels in July 2020 after her sibling, daughter, and grandson had been killed by means of gun violence. Hamilton’s group has partnered with 87 households who’ve misplaced family members, offering toughen and connecting them with assets to lend a hand them thru their grief. Additionally, Hamilton has visited Fort Worth colleges to carry to mild the problem of gun violence, explaining that they know “where it’s coming from… it’s coming from all ages.”
Arnetta Gee, whose son, Malik Sims, used to be killed on the age of nineteen when a boy he used to be seeking to befriend shot him in his personal bed room, has additionally been adversely impacted. Gee herself used to be injured months later when somebody shot at her automotive, and he or she frolicked within the clinic. “I thank God I’m still here,” she stated.
Wilkerson defined that crime victims continuously have no idea the place to show for lend a hand, which is why she is elevating consciousness in regards to the assets to be had and advocating for trade. “Something bad happened to me, but I’m turning it into something positive,” she stated. “You know what I’m saying? I can see that for my state, for the state of Texas you know, there are things that are changing that, you know, 10, 20 years ago, would I have thought that it would have changed? No, but I actually get a chance to see that now.”
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