John–
I got involved in street life when I was a teenager, and at 26, I was robbed and shot in the neck. I was instantly paralyzed and began living life from a wheelchair.
After I was shot, I moved to a nursing facility on Roosevelt Island, New York, and I gave up on any dreams for my future.
But that all changed when I took a writing workshop with OPEN DOORS NYC, which provides artistic workshops and programs focused on community building, disability justice, and gun violence prevention.
I started learning poetry and music production, and speaking with young people about my experience with gun violence. Making art and helping my community allowed me to heal—it showed me that I'm so much more than my shooting, my disability, or the environment I grew up in.
Today marks the beginning of National Gun Violence Survivors Week, a time when we come together to amplify the stories of survivors who live with the impact of gun violence every day. Join us: Read our stories.
I've dedicated my life to keeping kids off the street and in the studio. I'm now the Director of OPEN DOORS NYC and also founded ZING!, a gun violence survivor-led initiative that puts the mic in the hands of people who have been denied access, creating intergenerational spaces for people from all backgrounds to share their talent and wisdom.
And I know I'm not alone in this fight: Survivors of gun violence all across the country have turned their grief and pain into action.
National Gun Violence Survivors Week is a time to honor survivors, tell our stories, and uplift our work creating change.
I know what's at stake for the 120 Americans who are killed every day with guns and for the twice as many who are shot and wounded—and countless others who are impacted by acts of gun violence.
That's why I stepped up to keep my community safe and out of the line of fire, because my life didn't stop when I was shot.
Thank you for being a part of this movement,
Vincent Pierce
He/Him/His
Director, OPEN DOORS NYC
Everytown Survivor Network
P.S. Join me and the Everytown Survivor Network on January 24 at 8pm ET to hear more from survivors who are leading the work to end this crisis.
