Illustration by Rachel Maves
Two of the five deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history have happened in the last quarter of this year.
On Sunday, Nov. 5, a man armed with a rifle killed 26 people in the sanctuary of a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. The Las Vegas massacre in October, the deadliest shooting in modern U.S. history, was shocking in its scale, leaving 58 people dead and 546 injured.
We’re at a tipping point as a society: Either we become numb to the carnage and normalize it, or we stand up and say that this is not who we want to be as Americans.
It’s troubling to think that here in Richmond, gun deaths for the year are comparable in number to the deaths in Las Vegas. In early September, nine people died during an eight-day period, including four in the Gilpin Court public housing community. The Richmond Police Department listed 56 deaths from homicide in 2017 as of Nov. 6, an increase from 50 at the same time last year and 32 during the same period in 2015. Each of these deaths represents a tragedy, and each causes ripple effects of trauma. When we at the Richmond Peace Education Center work with young people affected by gun violence, we sometimes ask them to raise their hands if they know someone who’s been shot. In some settings, most of the young people in the room raise their hands.
In the face of these troubling trends, what can we do to ensure that 2018 is more peaceful than 2017? First, we must name what we are facing: an entrenched culture of violence that permeates our society. Too many of us have been taught or shown that the best way to deal with pain and frustration is to inflict pain on others. That is the cycle we must stop. What gives me hope is that there are several promising efforts to do these things already underway here in Richmond.
I’m inspired by the 50 Richmond teenagers who completed training this year to become Youth Peace Leaders for the Richmond Peace Education Center. Many of these teens are leading workshops with younger children and other teens, teaching them ways to resolve conflicts and stay safe. One teen peace leader says they’re teaching peers “how to see the other person’s perspective before responding in an argument.”
I’m also inspired by countless projects using creativity and the arts to engage and empower young people in our communities. Projects by groups like Drums No Guns, Art 180 and Groundwork RVA, along with the Peace Center’s youth programs, are engaging young people left behind by the broader community, and they’re doing it in a way that is affirming and transformative.
I know we can’t build a more peaceful community without addressing the deeper drivers of violence. In Richmond, generations of racial oppression and violence against people of color laid the groundwork for community conditions that perpetuate violence today. We’ve in effect designed our region to concentrate traumatic stress and disadvantage in certain ZIP codes. I’m glad that the city of Richmond has set a goal to reduce poverty by 40 percent by 2030 and is starting to take steps toward this end, particularly through connecting low-income residents to jobs. (Full disclosure: My husband, Thad Williamson, is a senior policy advisor to Mayor Levar Stoney.)
We also need a passionate and engaged citizenry united in the determination to build a more just city and region. Here are three steps we can take to work toward a more peaceful year in 2018:
- Teach peace. Show young people how to calm themselves when they are angry, how to listen to one another and how to make peace. Conflict between people is inevitable, but fighting and gun violence are learned behaviors.
- Heal hurt. We need to acknowledge and redress the traumatic experiences many Richmond residents face as a result of both economic strain and literal violence. This means being willing to speak truthfully about the inequities of our region while listening to those affected by violence. Listening and human connection are the ultimate antidote to despair and nihilism.
- Empower communities and expand opportunity. We must uplift communities that have been left behind and target efforts to bring wealth and opportunity to residents and neighborhoods on the economic margins. After all, community violence isn’t “their problem.” It’s a problem for us all.
We can’t arrest our way out of the problem of community violence. We can’t imprison our way out. Making Richmond and Central Virginia a more peaceful, just and equitable place to live for all will require each of us to think differently and to act. I hope you’ll join us on this critical journey.
Adria Scharf is executive director of the Richmond Peace Education Center. She has a doctorate in sociology and a 20-year history of community building and activism.
