‘Healed people can heal people:’ North Texas crime victims gather for healing vigil
Around a dozen people gathered at Living Waters Park in east Fort Worth on Saturday afternoon to remember loved ones lost to violence, to share resources and to heal.
As the group held hands, they went around the circle and shared the names of their loved ones or words of encouragement.
The healing vigil marks the end of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and was timed to coincide with other vigils around the country.
“They say like hurt people hurt people, but healed people can heal people,” said 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 was murdered in 2007. Since then she’s turned her “pain into power” and is working with Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, an organization that advocates for crime victims and promotes public safety policies.
Wilkerson said as she’s talked to lawmakers, she’s noticed that when they hear crime statistics, it’s just numbers to them. But when they meet people who’ve been impacted by crime, it humanizes it for them.
“One of our taglines is ‘When survivors speak, change happens,’ and it does,” Wilkerson said. “Because we have to have the seat at the table because it’s impacting us.”
Melinda Hamilton founded Mothers of Murdered Angels in July 2020 after losing her brother, daughter and grandson to gun violence.
“Enough was enough,” she said.
Hamilton said her organization has worked with 87 families who’ve lost loved ones. They provide support and connect them with resources to help them through their loss.
Recently Hamilton has gone into Fort Worth high schools to talk about the problem of gun violence.
“We know where it’s coming from,” she said. “It’s coming from all ages.”
Arnetta Gee said too many people are getting killed. Her 19-year-old son Malik Sims was fatally shot in June in his own bedroom by a boy he was trying to befriend, she said.
Gee herself was injured when someone fired a bullet at her car. Her eyes were damaged by the flying glass and she had to spend time in the hospital.
“I thank God I’m still here,” she said.
Wilkerson said crime victims often don’t know where to turn for help. That is why she’s out there raising awareness about resources and advocating for change.
“Something bad happened to me, but I’m turning it into something positive,” Wilkerson said. “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.”
This story was originally published April 29, 2023 at 5:06 PM.
