City Of Cincinnati: Gun Violence Memorial Project

Press release from the City of Cincinnati:

Oct 14, 2021

CINCINNATI – The City of Cincinnati’s Office of Human Relations, in collaboration with Everytown For Gun Safety, and the Cincinnati Recreation Commission (CRC) invites you to participate in the Gun Violence Memorial Project’s Object Collection event. If you’ve lost a family member or loved one to gun violence, we invite you to take part in this memorial by contributing a Remembrance Object to honor your loved one. Participating families will donate mementos of their loved ones who were victims of gun violence. These keepsakes will be placed in a glass house memorial at the Building Museum in Washington, D.C. until September 25, 2022, and be on display at all locations thereafter. Participants can also lend the Remembrance Object to the project, and it will be returned after the September 25, 2022, closing. Objects in the display often include photographs, baby shoes, graduation tassels, baseball caps, figurines, and other artifacts.   Gun violence has claimed the lives of countless individuals in Cincinnati this year, leaving families and entire communities traumatized by the loss. By sharing a Remembrance Object that honors someone you love, together we can highlight the human toll of gun violence and inspire visitors to connect with the individual stories. a loved one is a pain and trauma that never goes away. We feel this event is more important than ever now that so many of our community members are dying from gunfire,” Booth explained. Daniel Betts, Cincinnati Recreation Director, was intrigued by the concept and wanted to ensure that CRC was a part of the worthy project. He said that “CRC is committed to supporting and protecting children, youth and families who have experienced gun violence and strongly believe that by partnering with the Office of Human Relations on the Gun Violence Memorial Project we can reduce the number of families that experience this trauma. We can also support families who require a safe place to honor their loved ones whose lives ended by gun violence,” Betts emphasized. The Gun Violence Memorial Project is led by architecture firm MASS Design Group and artist Hank Willis in partnership with Purpose Over Pain and Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund. It is a tribute to the thousands of lives ended by gun violence in the nation.

This press release was produced by the City of Cincinnati. The views expressed here are the author’s own.