CINCINNATI — A national project that hopes to spark change is collecting mementos from families who have lost loved ones to gun violence.
It was a somber day for Arnita Henderson.
She carried a hoodie that belonged to her late grandson, Ladarius Evans, who had his life cut short June 17.
“We never got a chance to say goodbye or to see him,” Henderson said.
Henderson contributed the sweatshirt her grandson wore when he was killed to the Gun Violence Memorial Project (GVMP), a permanent, national memorial that will be on display at the National Building Museum in Washington D.C.
She said it’s still a difficult time for her entire family.
“This is going to be the first Christmas holiday, Thanksgiving that we’ve been without him,” Henderson said. “So, it’s going to be a little tough. But I know I want to keep his memory alive and this is the best way to keep his memory alive.”
She’s not alone.
Christina Hawkins lost her younger brother, Joshua Hawkins, to a domestic violence shooting earlier this year.
“He was shot and killed by his child’s mother on last year Nov. 14, which so happens to be my birthday,” Hawkins said. “The worst day of my life now.”
Hawkins said life hasn’t been the same since for her family, but while they continue to search for justice, the GVMP motivates her to make a difference.
“It’s not only hurtful, but it makes you want to spring into action to try to prevent this — try to prevent someone else from feeling the same feeling that you’re feeling,” she said. “Like how can we put a stop to this.”
The items are being collected by Pastor Jackie Jackson, who knows about gun violence all too well.
At 10 years old, he was shot, and 37 years later, his son oldest son, Jackie, was shot, too.
“In the city of Cincinnati, over the last seven and a half, going on eight years, I’ve had eight family members taken by gun violence,” Jackson said. "Six family members who have been shot and wounded. All of these have been separate incidents.”
In 2020, there was a 29% increase in homicides in Cincinnati compared to the previous year and shootings were up 37% over that same time period, according to Cincinnati Police.
Jackson is the Survivor Outreach Lead for the Everytown Survivor Network, one of the organizations leading the project.
Jackson said this project is powerful but it’s a bittersweet way to honor lost loved ones.
“People from around the world will get to know that your loved one existed,” he said.
The items will be on display as part of the project about 60 days from receiving the items and will be a part of the project in D.C. until Sept. 25, 2022, before the exhibition moves to another location in the U.S.
Jackson hopes this project can be a spark for action.
“Get people and call them to action against gun violence because we gotta fix it,” he said. “We’re losing too many people.”