OAKLAND — People from across the Bay Area who have survived or lost a loved one to violent crime gathered at Lake Merritt Saturday for a healing vigil, hosted by Californians for Safety and Justice.
Survivors, like 15-year-old Anidja Spurell, shared their stories.
“Healing but not healed, and I have to remind myself that’s OK,” Spurell said during a spoken word presentation.
Her aunt, who organized the event, invited her. She thought it could help her if she shared her story.
“I’ve been through emotional and physical abuse from my mother in the past,” Spurell said.
She said her mother was an alcoholic, and she grew up in fear. But now she’s finally safe, living with her aunt, going to high school, and focusing on getting into a good college.
Spurell started writing and sharing her poems to help her process her trauma.
“At first, it was just a way to get my feelings out that I couldn’t tell other people, but then it became something that was really dear to me,” Spurell explained.