Today America surprised me. The President took action to #endgunviolence, an issue that has destroyed Black communities for decades. An issue that has shattered my family in multiple ways. An issue that stole friends, neighbors, mentors, mentees and nearly my life. Thx @POTUS

@POTUS acknowledged my struggle all these years being a gun violence survivor and advocate. For years I've been asked to tell my story, but never to speak truth. To share my pain, but never ideas. To clap for policy, but never pick up a pen...but today that changed.

I'll never forget the feeling of laying in the hospital watching political leaders who had never felt my pain or watched families mourn or watched cousins off to prison...but on the screen debating the importance of gun violence and PRESCRIBING what we need instead of empowering

That moment of powerlessness partnered with depression, lived with me for 6 months during my recovery. Lived with me through 6 surgeries, 21 days in the hospitals across multiple stays, two relapses in my physical rehab and months bedridden.

All the while, I watched national political leaders move on after a failed background check vote and pivot to the next "hot" issue, while I couldn't even move myself into the next room or use the bathroom without assistance.

The President and Congress moved on, while I couldn't move. While my mother's pain couldn't leave. While my brother's rage continued. While my friends empathy continued. While the trauma moved in, Washington moved on.

Since I was shot on 4/21/13, I witnessed the trauma continue and new organizations created out of these tragedies. I found brothers and sisters through our shared trauma, from Chicago to Las Vegas to Parkland to Charleston...who all joined this movement out of pain.

Since I was shot on 4/21/13, over 800,000 people have been shot or killed by gun violence. And millions of children, parents, adults, families, communities and neighborhoods shattered. Since 4/21/13, gun violence cost our country $2.24 TRILLION tax dollars.

Since I was shot on 4/21/13, I watched every year national political leaders refuse to take action. Refuse to be leaders, but most importantly, refuse to save lives...which was disproportionately Black lives, being lost.

Since I was shot my 10 year neighbor was killed at a Spread Peace cookout two blocks from my house that I helped start a few years before. A 11 year old mentee of mine from the Creative School was shot outside of McDonalds down the street in my neighborhood.

Since I was shot I embraced the mother and aunt of 11 year old Makiyah Wilson who was shot while getting ice cream only a few miles from the Capitol Building that refused to embrace this issue. #endgunviolence #investinus #fundpeace

Since I was shot the tragedies continued, the thoughts and prayers continued...but the action needed remained a political football in Washington.

Since I was shot, I worked in DC government to address violence through community outreach, recreational programs, community rehabilitation, public health solutions, policy task forces, cognitive behavior therapy programs and supporting violence intervention efforts in our city.

But I left to join @CJACTIONFUND after my 20 year old cousin who held my hand in the ambulance when I was shot, watched his best friend bleed to death after being shot in Greensboro, NC and it was the darkest reminder that true change required national political action.

Since that decision in 2019, we set out on an aggressive mission to elevate this crisis at every moment and in turn elevate the need for INVESTMENT and FUNDING in violence prevention programs.

We started with congressional briefings on this crisis and helped organize the first Congressional Hearing on Urban Gun Violence in American History in 2019 led by @amberkgoodwin #endgunviolence

I traveled with survivors from Chicago, Parkland @AMarch4OurLives and experts to advocate to the International Human Rights Commission organized by @amnestyusa

We travelled the country engaging local activists, leaders and advocates about the roles of cities and states to #endgunviolence.

When COVID hit, we launched the #PeaceIsEssential campaign with @AMarch4OurLives to elevate the importance of community based solutions during the pandemic.

We partnered with @RevolveImpact to launch our #ByDesign Webinar series to educate over 10K people the crisis of gun violence and the community base solutions that could be invested in.

We organized marches, rallies and press conferences in Wisconsin in solidarity with #jacobblake and put pressure on the Wisconsin legislature to #investinus

We built the Maryland Coalition for Gun Violence Prevention of over 40 organizations to advocate for over $3 million in funding for the state of Maryland #investinus

We launched hearings, briefings and engaged state officials in the states of North Carolina, Wisconsin, Maryland, New York, Texas, Illinois and more about the need to fund these efforts at the state level. #investinus

We organized #ElectJustice that reached over 3 million voters in neighborhoods hardest hit by gun violence and mobilized them to turn out during this critical election to advance efforts to #endgunviolence.

We launched the #InvestInUs federal coalition made up of over 40 gun violence advocacy organizations and co-launched the #FundPeace Campaign with 100+ organizations working to provide violence intervention and prevention solutions across the country to #endgunviolence