Health & Wellness

A Day of HEALING

By Kyonna F. Brown

In a city where there is darkness from crime and violence there are loved ones who are left pensive. The shadow of hurt can leave victim survivors in a river of devastation. For those who are traveling down the dark canal there is a light and a beacon of hope to carry them through their storm. In Baltimore Maryland the chances of becoming a victim of a violent crime is 1 in 53.

In the entire state of Maryland the statistic is 1 in 220. Out of the 1 in 53 in Baltimore there are entire families left to pick up the pieces and continue life with the loss of their loved one. Losing a family member can play a dramatic role on your mental health and stability. In losing a family member to violence the survivor deals with the same components but there is also the state of retaliation, unforgiveness, and rage. In Baltimore, that community has a beacon of light and hope from several organizations that offer help such as Roberta’s House (a family grief support center), Panacea Media, Hug Don’t Shoot, and many many more.

On Aug 4, 2021, I had the honor of visiting Roberta’s House for A Day Of Healing. As the forgiveness expert this event was right up my alley, but on this day I chose to relish in the healing instead of sharing. There are many times in life where our presence is all that’s needed. On this day there was so much healing in one room that it was truly a blissful place to be. There was a panel of victim survivors and experts to guide the audience through their healing journey with the hope to inspire the room to forgive and heal. The amount of transparency in the room was undeniably breathtaking. Healing comes at the cost of releasing the past of bondage, brokenness, and pain. The panel paid the cost and was able to deliver hope to those who are stuck in their past. The center that facilitated this day gives rays of hope to homicide survivors' families. They offer support groups to teach, empower, and unite. This well coordinated evening was just one of the many examples of their organization pushing to bring the healing of hearts in need. Panacea Media was one of the collaborators of the evening. They brought tears, laughter, and inspiration to the room from the documentary they shared. The documentary is entitled Dante Barksdale’s Last Act.

Many reading this article may be familiar with the name Barksdale from the famous HBO series “The Wire” . Dante was the nephew to the main character in real life. His name brought many emotions to the community, but as he changed his life the name brought empowerment. The film shared a personal story from his life where he was seeking forgiveness from a mother (Kenyita Allen) whose child was accidentally killed by Dante in a vehicle incident. The openness Kenyita displayed to forgive Dante sent ripples through the city and even opened the eyes of a mother (Terri Abbott) from Washington D.C. to forgive the man who hit and killed her son Timothy Abbott. Shortly after Dante was forgiven his life was taken due to gun violence. Although this was unexpected it was a clear indication that others need to forgive and not hold onto the weight of ther past. We never know how long we will have on this earth and no amount of hurt is worth taking to the grave. Dr. Karen Swartz says that forgiveness is a choice. You are choosing to offer compassion and empathy to the person who wronged you. Developing a forgiving attitude can better your emotional and physical state. Through organizations such as Roberta’s House and Panacea Media hope is given to the community of people who are hurting. In the documentary there was an insert from Dante Barksdale’s book. It was a poem that we all need to remember:

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender. Be on good terms with all persons.

As long as there is breath in our bodies we should activate healing in our hearts and minds that will inspire a healing in our communities. No one person can do it all alone. We need you, too.