Proudly Supporting a Local "Life Builder"

Recently, our Whitney/Strong board members have been thinking about and discussing ways that we can positively contribute to the Black Lives Matter movement.  Last week, we watched a webinar for non-profit organizations, and one of their suggestions was to evaluate who we support and work with.  Immediately, I proudly thought of Pivot to Peace.

Pivot to Peace is a hospital-based initiative that intervenes when a person has been shot or stabbed and helps that survivor successfully reintegrate back into their community. Without programs like Pivot to Peace, the re-injury rate for victims who return to the same environment where they were injured is significant. That’s why programs like Pivot are life savers. For me, Pivot to Peace wasn’t only a life saver, but a life builder as well. When I first became aware of Pivot, I had just been told by doctors that due to my injuries, it was likely I would never be able to walk again. I was no longer capable of performing my job duties; therefore, I was forced to search for new income. Mentally, I was discombobulated. The life I knew had vanished.

When life turns upside down, finding a starting point can feel like an insurmountable task. However, Ms. Deborah, KJ Fields, and Derrick Mitchell – Pivot to Peace staff – helped me develop and carry out a plan that has catapulted my life in a direction I never saw coming. But the thing I cherish most is the support and love I have received from them. I will never forget when they came and prayed with my family when we were all in a room together for the first time. I will never forget Derrick stopping by the hospital for my therapy appointments or coming by to play 2K with me to keep my mind off things or how he helped me enroll into college. I will never forget how KJ made me feel like family from the first day we met or how he has connected me to a multitude of people and opportunities or how he helped me find a paying job. I will never forget how Ms. Deborah dug into her OWN pockets to help me pay for the medicine I needed or how she takes it upon herself to get involved with what Whitney Strong supports, like CALM training, or how she constantly pushes me to become a better version of myself.

Pivot to Peace is a vital component to our Louisville community, especially our Black population. In fact, Pivot’s most recently published report showed that 92% of the Pivot to Peace participants were Black. Despite this heart-wrenching reality, Pivot to Peace has a 96% success rate. Rarely do participants get reinjured after they have decided to join the Pivot family. However, even with all of this success, far too often Pivot to Peace and other similar initiatives aren’t given the attention and resources they deserve. I know firsthand the potential that Pivot to Peace has. People may not realize it, but when they look at me, they see a piece of Pivot. Pivot is fighting every day to support the many Black lives in our own backyard. Today, I’m delighted and proud to share that the Whitney/Strong Board has decided to make a monetary donation to this strong pillar in the city of Louisville. - Terrell Williams (Whitney/Strong Board Member and gun violence survivor)

Our Commitment to Equity

We have shared many of these thoughts with you in previous email and blog posts. I felt it was important to repeat those messages here while sharing our ongoing commitment to equality and equity.

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On the day we organized, Whitney/Strong made a commitment to fight all forms of gun violence. While much public attention is directed at mass shootings, we hold gun violence of any kind within our purview - including gun violence at the hands of police.

At first, the thought of speaking out against police gun violence was difficult for me, someone who’s alive due to the heroic efforts of the Cincinnati Police Department. However, the task is made less challenging as I witness the courage and bravery of so many – police and civilians alike – who demand that we meet this national moment. 

To do this, we must begin by confronting the binary narrative playing out in front of us. This narrative tries to force us into either demanding justice for Black lives OR supporting law enforcement – not both. To be clear, you can both respect members of law enforcement and believe that policies must be examined to eliminate racial disparities. 

We will always speak up when something is wrong, even when it is challenging to do so. This is one of those times. Whitney/Strong stands firmly against racism, discrimination, inequality, and inequity. These beliefs are intertwined in our mission.

At this critical juncture, we want to share our action plan to fight racial injustice.

• We have and will continue to share stories of the impact of gun violence in communities of color. It is our hope that doing so will humanize the victims and invoke empathy and discomfort so strong that it’s impossible to ignore the depth and breadth of the pain Black people experience due to gun violence.

• We know that stories are not enough. To honor these victims, we will continue to find ways to bring our Save a Life Series to neighborhoods most at-risk for gun violence, including communities of color. This program brings together evidence-based measures like Stop the Bleed and safe storage training. These events give us an opportunity to listen, learn, and connect with local leaders and members of the community.  

• We are steadfast in championing responsible gun ownership solutions such as bi-partisan-supported legislation to de-escalate moments of crisis and suicide prevention programs designed to reduce access to lethal means. We will continue and expand our current efforts to distribute gun locks throughout our communities.

• We will use our relationships with law enforcement to find areas for improvement and will think critically about where we fit in. Work must be done to eradicate racism in all its forms, policing included, and we pledge to be a part of the solution.

Like all of our work, this action plan will continue to grow and evolve. We acknowledge that we don't have all the answers right now.  Whitney/Strong is committed to listening, learning, engaging in conversation, and finding meaningful ways to stand up for racial justice and lasting equity.

Let me end where I began. As an organization, we are incredibly grateful to our law enforcement partners for their role in implementing our strategic priorities, including Stop the Bleed training and gun lock distribution. Unquestionably, I am alive and able to do this work today because of the heroic police officers who responded with selfless disregard for the danger they faced. I am still in awe of their bravery and humanity in that moment. Let us hold that moment as our North Star and insist that those same values are universally applied - especially to our Black brothers and sisters.  

I encourage each of you to think about your own plans of action and the steps you can take to fight for equity. We welcome your partnership and participation in our journey to create meaningful change. - Whitney

We can do better together.

Save A Life Series - Terrell Williams

For far too long, my community has been plagued with gun violence, and many people including myself, have lost loved ones due to this public health issue. While it may take the city a while to alleviate this problem, something that can be done to help immediately to save lives from gun violence is the Whitney/Strong Save a Life Series.

The two major components of the Save a Life Series are Stop the Bleed training and Firearm Safety training. Stop the Bleed training is a skillset that I believe all residents of West and South Louisville need. Often, a gunshot wound becomes fatal because of exsanguination—death from too much blood loss. Regardless of how fast or slow emergency responders arrive at an emergency, bystanders will always be the first people on the scene. I think back to when I was laying on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds, bleeding out, and being surrounded by 10+ people. Even though I was surrounded by multiple people, none of them knew what to do. They were all just staring at me hopelessly. I’m extremely blessed and fortunate to still be here today. However, I think about the countless number of people who weren’t as fortunate as me. Were people staring at them hopelessly in their time of suffering too? That’s why Stop the Bleed is important to me. It gives people the power to take control of what may seem like an uncontrollable situation.

Firearm safety training is equally as important as Stop the Bleed training. Our firearm safety training teaches individuals the proper way firearms should be stored, the proper way firearms should be handled, and how to prevent accidental death or injury. It is well-known that many of the gun-related deaths that occur in my neighborhood, and others like it, involve kids who shouldn’t have access to these firearms. As adults, we must acknowledge and take some responsibility in the role we play when it comes to youth gun violence. Whether it’s taking our firearms out of our cars at night, or ensuring we use gun locks, or teaching our youth the dangers of firearms, we have to start taking steps in the right direction to prevent these senseless gun-related injuries. The Whitney/Strong Save a Life Series is a step in the right direction! 

So, why should you attend a Save a Life session? Because you will gain the necessary tools and knowledge to save a life! You can help prevent someone from going through the pain of losing a son, brother, sister, daughter, father, mother, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, friend, or neighbor. The Whitney/Strong Save a Life Series will benefit not only West and South Louisville, but it will act as a model for other communities in the U.S. who experience similar trauma. Together, we can do better!   

Survivor Stories

A Way to Cure The Helplessness - Director of Market Research, Brooke Edge

I know my story is similar to many others in the Whitney/Strong circle—I got a call from a friend one morning at work, asking if I knew about Whitney. I then joined the expanding concentric circles of concern, sitting paralyzed at my desk waiting for updates, watching press conferences, and just crying.

I also shared the overwhelming feelings of both fear and helplessness that so many did that day. Now I realize how many others—strangers, yet now members of the same tribe of gun violence victims—face that horrible sequence of events every day. Everyone reading this post knows how Whitney’s story has progressed, and how she was seemingly superpowered by those 12 bullets to take on the challenge of making our world safer. But every time there is another shooting—mass, domestic, school, whatever—I think about the friends getting calls, sitting paralyzed, waiting for updates, crying, and feeling terrifyingly helpless.

Those circles keep getting larger, expanding further and becoming more impactful with every shooting. Having a loved one shot is awful. It is life changing. It affects the way you see the world around you, the way you see other people, and the way you see yourself. In the case of so many who love Whitney Austin, it changes how we relate to guns.

Even the gun owners among us were suddenly faced on September 6, 2018 with the very cold reality of what a person who could not act responsibly or reasonably with a firearm can do. Every shooting enlightens more people to outcomes of that awful situation. But—the more people join this awful, expanding circle, the more people there are who want to see change. Whitney/Strong is living proof—a young organization fed by the energy, dollars, and spirit of people personally rocked by gun violence tearing into their world and vowing to prevent that violence from continuing to grow unchecked.

I am immeasurably grateful that my dear friend is still here, that I can still wave to her in the school carpool line, still text to see what she’s up to this weekend, and still call to confirm our morning walks. I’m even more grateful that she’s also now my friend who I can join on a plane to D.C. to introduce Whitney/Strong to legislators, can text to say “Good luck today!” when she’s got a speaking engagement, and can see regularly at board meetings to talk about Whitney/Strong wins. Not everyone is so lucky; not everyone’s day of getting that call turns out with prayers of thanks for survival. But the more of those calls get made, the more people are transformed into agents of change. And Whitney/Strong is here to welcome them, and provide a way to cure the helplessness.

Commitment to our Cause - Director of Operations, Sara Hayden

There are events in your life that shake you to your core and, when sudden and unexpected, you’ll never forget where you were when you heard the news. September 6, 2018 is one of those days in my life. I first met Whitney in high school show choir, and we’ve been friends ever since. We went to the same high school, college, and even graduate school. We are Delta Zeta sorority sisters, we were roommates and bridesmaids. Despite living in different cities for the last 11 years, we’ve remained part of a close knit group of friends who have helped either other through some tough times, so this has been no exception. 

I was sitting at work when my husband called me to ask if Whitney was okay. He’d seen Waller’s Facebook post asking for prayers for Whitney, that she’d been shot at Fifth Third Bank in Cincinnati. The hours that followed were a blur as I got in touch with our close friends and her family members to find out what had happened and if she was going to be okay. 

We all know how that story ends for Whitney, but what impact did it have on me? For a number of years, gun violence has been an increasing concern on my radar, but one I’d done nothing about. My husband and I are not gun owners and I have never been comfortable around guns. This feeling has only amplified as I had two daughters. I grew more uneasy with the seeming rise in gun violence and all the media coverage around it that was coupled with the inaction by anyone in a position of political power. After Whitney’s shooting I immediately started researching organizations I could join to fight gun violence, but didn’t make it very far before Whitney called me. She had an idea and wanted me to be a part of it, and Whitney/Strong was born. 

Aside from the mission behind Whitney/Strong, there is a reason I signed on so quickly. Whitney and I have a very long history, so I know that she is one of the most intelligent, motivated, persistent and kind people that I know. If she doesn’t know something, she will learn it; if she doesn’t know someone that she needs to know, she will find a contact to introduce her. She will not give up until she makes a difference in this space, and I’m proud to work alongside her to achieve this.

Whitney/Strong stands out as different amongst our peers because we are dedicated to our bipartisan approach. Our board is made up of individuals from the far left and far right sides of politics, and we encourage each other to think differently with our approach to ending lives lost to gun violence. Some may look at our board and say we don’t have the political or non profit experience to be successful. They may say that we should have joined one of the existing organizations fighting gun violence, and expand on the work they have already done. But we wanted to do things a little differently. The topic of gun violence is polarizing, and to make a difference in this space, we have to find a way to come together and find solutions.    

What this Means to Me

Here is my quote to the media:

“Today is an important milestone in the fight to end gun violence. The $25 million Congress has appropriated for gun violence research will help us find data-driven solutions to this epidemic. Thank you to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Congressman John Yarmuth for voting “Yea” on this meaningful funding.”

Before I give you context regarding my statement, I must first share how happy I am. Since I was shot 15 months ago there have been ZERO legislative wins at the federal level. We’ve been to D.C. We’ve had a front row seat to the many opposing viewpoints of those in power. It often feels like making change is insurmountable. But on Friday, all that changed.

The House AND the Senate agreed to fund $25M into the CDC and NIH for gun violence prevention research. This is HUGE! Not just for the researchers clamoring for dollars to save lives, but also because we finally got a win. This issue is not impenetrable! This is the best Christmas present I could have ever received!

For a better understanding of how research can help save lives, see the Five Thirty Eight article we posted last week. Now for some context.

After 15 months of navigating the world of legislation, both at the state and federal levels, I can tell you unequivocally that getting a gun violence prevention bill passed is tough.

From the start, you’ve got extreme points of view sucking the air out of nearly every conversation. Next, and once you’ve moved past the radical points, you’ll find that reasonable people on both sides of the aisle have real concerns that deserve consideration. And with our focus on D.C., there is no clear majority with the power to get their bill through both chambers.

As a result and in the case of this appropriations bill, the $50M requested by the House (led by Democrats), wasn’t agreed to by the Senate (led by Republicans). When the two chambers do not agree they can go one of two ways.

1. The Senate can ignore the bill as it is too far away from anything they’d consider for passage. This is what happened to HR 8, aka Comprehensive Background Checks.

OR

2. The Senate can take the bill and re-work based upon what they think will muster passage.

With this bill, the latter happened and I’m so glad it did! This request did not go the way of the House gun violence prevention bill graveyard. While there are valid reasons to be frustrated with why that has happened historically, that’s not the way we roll at Whitney/Strong. We believe in incremental wins and will revel when legislators make the right decision, regardless of when or why they get there.

This bill ended up with $25M and not $50M. This was a spending bill. Funds are allocated for many worthy causes, such as military aid, school violence prevention, suicide prevention, etc. I cannot opine on how the deal was struck and why certain initiatives received more dollars than others. I can only tell you this: The Senate got on board in a way they haven’t in the past. Our legislator meetings, the many email and phone communications, and ultimately, our strategy, is working!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Revel in this win with us!