June 7, 2025
After the profound tragedy of losing John on July 28, 2024, to gun violence, i felt a deep sense of powerlessness. Participating in today’s Walk for Peace offered me another path to finding strength and reclaiming my voice.
I didn’t get much sleep last night because I was just too excited. Over the past six months, I have participated in deeply moving events with the Mothers of Murdered Columbus Children. However, during today’s Walk for Peace, I sensed a subtle difference: my closest family members chose to walk alongside me.
Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the U.S., organized the Walk for Peace. Moms Demand Action, a grassroots organization and part of Everytown, advocates for public safety measures to reduce gun violence and led the walk. In a show of solidarity, many Mothers of Murdered Columbus Children participated, sending a powerful message: Together, We Can End Gun Violence.
Before the walk, participants chatted, hugged, and took pictures. Moms Demand Action, the event organizers, then asked us to print the names of our lost loved ones on white or orange hearts, and they would include those in a special surprise for us at the end of the walk.
A survivor of gun violence then shared her story, which moved everyone to tears. After the conclusion of the speech and prayer, we all lined up and were ready to go.
Officers from the Columbus Police Department joined us not only for protection but also to demonstrate solidarity, which was a beautiful sight to witness. This solidarity is essential. When police participate in peace walks, it creates opportunities for positive interactions with community members, helping to build trust and improve relationships.
Walking with me were my husband, Ronnie, my sister, Cindy, and my buttercup, who is John’s daughter. We walked with purpose and pride, wearing “We Can End Gun Violence” t-shirts and badges with John’s pictures over our hearts. Kammy carried her favorite photo of her daddy, showing John lovingly cuddling her while they slept. I wore John’s favorite hat, the one he’s wearing in the picture on our badges. I will always wear John’s hat whenever I walk, so I can have a piece of him walking with me.
The route took us to the Eastside of Columbus, an area that has seen the highest number of homicides this year. We walked along East Livingston Avenue, which is my husband’s childhood neighborhood. His house was located at the corner of South 18th Street and East Livingston Avenue.
This walk was deeply moving because my family joined me, but it held even deeper significance for him. He walked for peace in memory of his son while remembering the many times he played in the streets we crossed as a child.
As we marched, residents recorded us on their phones and cheered from their homes. Cars honked in support as they passed by on the street, and the blaring of horns was even louder from below us as we stood on the bridge, pressing our signs against the fence that lined the overpass.
It was truly empowering. Being heard and acknowledged brought strength and validation!
We left the bridge area and began heading back. All of a sudden, my granddaughter screamed and pointed at a building en route, “Look, MiMi! Daddy is here with us!” I smiled and replied, “He sure is, Buttercup. This is definitely a message from your daddy reminding us that he’s always with us!”
*I’ve continuously said throughout my blog, be open to the signs and messages your loved ones are sending you from the other side*
As we approached the end of the walk, we paused to stand on the sidewalk of Livingston Ave. This was the “Say Their Names” moment, where everyone present stood still and shouted the names of their loved ones lost to gun violence. This allowed everyone to acknowledge and honor them. Tears began to flow down my face, especially when Ronnie said, “John Leon Wilks,” with such power and pride.
Acknowledging our loved ones lost to gun violence is so important. Saying the name of a loved one lost to gun violence is an act of remembrance. It’s a call for action and a way to humanize them, ensuring that their lives are not forgotten. These names have transformed our pain into purpose.
We concluded where we began, and a surprise awaited us. During our Walk for Peace, a few organizers stayed behind and created a collage of the paper hearts inscribed with the names of our loved ones. This frame honors those whom we lost but will never forget.
Kammy’s picture was next to the frame, along with a couple of other photographs of loved ones lost to gun violence.
Her white heart, which says “Daddy,” is located two white hearts up and one to the left. When I saw how close her heart was to the picture, it was another tear-jerking moment for me. She loves and misses her daddy so much.
I’m so glad to have participated in this Walk For Peace.
Before leaving, I paused, looked around, and then gazed up at the Heavens. With pride in my heart and tears in my eyes, I said, “Hey, son, I did it. I finished my first Walk for Peace in your honor. I’m doing my best to fulfill the promise I made to you— to make this world a better and safer place by turning my pain into purpose.”
I’ve only just begun…
