El Paso Strong
Photo at makeshift El Paso memorial, taken 2019.
One year ago today, on August 3, 2019, a man drove across Texas - fueled by his own racism and hatred - with the intention of killing people of Mexican descent in El Paso. On a Saturday morning, at a Wal-Mart bustling with shoppers from both sides of the border, he did just that. He killed 23, physically injured 23 more, and emotionally traumatized countless others. All because he wanted to kill people in my hometown who looked like me.
Today, as we mourn the lives lost, I reflect on the resilience of the El Paso people, and their collective resistance to hate. We are EL PASO STRONG! My work builds empathy and uses policy to dismantle bias within ourselves and our organizations. Much of this light within me comes from being raised on the border, among the loving people of El Paso. I grew up welcoming the newcomer, learning from those different than myself and living with love and empathy. We can all use El Paso as our model, rising above the destructive hatred of racism, and showing up every day to live with empathy and interrupt bias in all we do.