 |
||||
|
John- When we talk about community, we often think of the places that shape us—our neighborhoods, our schools, our churches, our families. Those places have shaped me, too. But for me and my family, those same places have also been marked by unimaginable loss due to gun violence. Yet even in that pain, I've witnessed what's possible when communities come together. That's why the work being done by Everytown, Moms Demand Action, and Students Demand Action is so critical. Together, we're working to organize volunteers in their cities and neighborhoods, helping to elect leaders who believe in gun safety, and fighting for a future where no other families should suffer the terrible pain of gun violence.
I have so many reasons to be in this fight against gun violence: I am a pastor, a survivor, a volunteer leader with Moms Demand Action, and a program manager with Everytown for Gun Safety. And the work I do—whether counseling families at crime scenes or connecting people to resources to break cycles of violence—is rooted in my own painful history. My story with gun violence began when I was 10, shot by a neighbor while playing outside. Decades later, my son Jackie Jackson II survived a shooting outside his home—his second time surviving being shot. But the violence didn't stop there. In the last twelve years, ten members of my family were killed and 9 more were wounded—including a child under four. And just last summer, my 16-year-old grandson, Jackie Jackson III, was shot and killed over a bottle of water. These tragedies didn't just break our hearts—they broke open our understanding of what community must be. Caring for one another. Showing up for one another. Refusing to normalize this level of pain. And that is exactly what Everytown and Moms Demand Action do as we work toward a future free from gun violence. We build safety from the ground up—block by block, neighbor by neighbor, survivor by survivor. We work with faith leaders, business owners, teachers, and families. We stand beside grieving parents, counsel children who've lost siblings, and bring hope into places where hope has been stolen. Your Giving Tuesday gift helps sustain that work—and today it goes twice as far. John, in the spirit of giving, make a generous gift online today to help us secure a future free of gun violence and your gift will be matched by Mike Bloomberg until December 5th.
Our communities deserve to be places where children can play without fear, where elders can worship in peace, and where families can gather without wondering who won't make it home. Thank you for helping us turn pain into purpose—and for helping us create communities rooted in safety, dignity, and love. With faith and gratitude, Pastor Jackie Jackson  |
