John–

Today is the first day of both National Gun Violence Survivors Week and Black History Month. As a survivor of gun violence and a Black woman, these next several days hold deep importance for me.

That's because I'm remembering my son, Kenneth. In a few days, it will have been 16 years since I last spoke to him, saw his face, and called his name. He was shot and killed while trying to intervene in a fight. A single parent, Kenneth left behind three sons: Tyler, John, and Mykhi.

Kenneth was the center of our family and a role model for his younger siblings and cousins. He was responsible and considerate of the people around him, and had a very strong sense of family. He was the one who would organize a barbecue if too much time had passed between family gatherings.

It hurts to write those words. But in the gun violence prevention movement, I have found a community of fellow survivors and activists who help me and countless others understand that we are not alone in this process.

That's why for National Gun Violence Survivors Week, I'm asking you to read and share the stories of survivors of gun violence.

We commemorate National Gun Violence Survivors Week the first week of February because by the beginning of this month, more people are killed with guns in the United States than are killed with guns in any other high-income country in an entire year. Many more are wounded, witness gun violence, or have loved ones who experienced gun violence, leaving 58 percent of American adults—including 68 percent of Black and Latino Americans—as survivors of gun violence.

But John, know this: survivors of gun violence have experienced loss to a degree that absolutely no one should, and even still, we are resilient. America's gun violence survivors, despite experiencing incredible trauma, are leading work on the ground to support other survivors and advocate for common-sense gun safety measures that save lives.

And we need your help accomplishing that change. This week, help bring awareness to the need for action by reading and sharing the stories of gun violence survivors.

As I reflect on the history and resilience of my communities this month—as both a gun violence survivor and a Black woman in America—I know there is still much more to be done to achieve racial justice and an end to gun violence in this country, two issues that are deeply interconnected. This Black History Month and beyond is a time for us to highlight the important work of Black survivors and activists, as well as frontline workers, health care workers, and faith leaders, and to make clear why we must center Black lives in our advocacy.

So as we continue this work, I will be thinking about Kenneth. I never stop missing him or wanting him. I am grateful for the love we shared, the son he was to me. I thank God for him.

His sons feel the loss; they struggle, but they keep getting up. He will always be what he has been to us.

We love you, Ken Ken. You were our love. You were our heaven.

John, please read and share the stories of gun violence survivors this National Gun Violence Survivors Week, and thank you for being a part of this movement.

Brenda Mitchell
Everytown Survivor Network