An anniversary for reflection

This week marks the one year anniversary of the Covenant School shooting, an event which shocked the Nashville community on March 27, 2023. That day six lives were lost, including three 9-year old children, and our community was forever changed. 

We joined the ranks of the far too many communities that have been touched by acts of mass violence, ripping away innocent lives and forcing those left behind to grieve and come together, advocating for change.

One year ago, I was getting ready to head to work when I got a text from a colleague, alerting me to a mass casualty event. I’d been the recipient of alerts like that one before but thankfully, they’d all been false alarms. Unfortunately, this one was different. 

The hospitals in the Nashville area were all alerted and ready to receive patients from Covenant. Doctors, nurses and other support staff readied themselves to treat patients that could arrive at any moment. We stood ready to treat the injured and comfort the families. But that day, there was nothing any of us could do for those who were shot. All we could do was hug each other, cry and pray.

In the aftermath of the shooting, many of us found ways to deal with our grief, finding purpose by working to make change. I stood on the steps of the state capitol a few days after the shooting and poured my heart out to thousands of people, calling on the state legislature and our governor to do something to prevent tragedies like the Covenant shooting. Like many other Nashvillians, I found myself daring to hope that our calls for change would be answered when Gov. Bill Lee called for a special session of the state legislature to address gun violence. 

That hope was short-lived. I attended nearly every day of the special session. And what I witnessed was a complete and utter failure of the Tennessee government to pass any meaningful laws to help address community safety or gun violence. Many folks who were new to the cause had an abrupt awakening to the way things really work (or don’t) at our state legislature. It is now with eyes wide open that we continue to advocate for a better way.

On this anniversary, I find myself feeling a flood of emotions. Grief for the lives we lost in another senseless act of violence. Anger at those who could do something to help prevent these tragedies and continue to do nothing. But still, despite the grief and anger, there is hope. 

I feel hope each time I see one of the Covenant moms at the state Capitol, working tirelessly to convince the legislators to truly listen and pass meaningful gun safety legislation. I feel hope watching organizations like Rise and Shine growing into powerful forces from the determination of a few individuals. I am hopeful in the knowledge that countless gun safety advocates and community organizations have been working to reduce gun violence for years, without receiving the proper funding or acknowledgement, but continue to do the work anyway. I feel hope when brave people step up to run for office all over Tennessee, ensuring there will be choices on the ballot for races that have typically gone uncontested, and holding the current leadership accountable for their inaction. And I feel hope when I see the younger generation showing up, making their voices heard, and challenging everyone to see that it doesn’t have to be this way.

This year, I choose to hold onto hope. Yes, there is still anger and grief, but I won’t let it win. I choose to channel those emotions into action, fortifying myself for the long road ahead. Making change, lasting change, is not easy. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. In the words of Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Our group of committed citizens is no longer small. We are many, we are mighty and we have proven that we will not shrink away from pain and loss.

Thank you to the Nashville community for the love, solidarity and commitment you’ve shown over the past year. Let’s continue to hold each other close and work to change things for the better.