Each day, we experience another death, another tragedy, another loss of life to violence, and we have no answers.There are many people–good people–working to help families and the community cope with the hurt and pain that comes with loss, particularly tragic loss.
As we at Scoop try to support our communities, victims and families, we have partnered with Zarinah Lomax and The Apologues to respect those we have lost by sharing portraits and brief introductions into the lives of the families that The Apologues’ has featured.
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Rachael Reyes Vazquez
Level: Grief
Co-victim: Rachael Reyes Vazquez
Victim: Rafael Vazquez
Artist Statement: When I lost my father to gun violence in 2017, I found myself trying to fill a void, a void of memories and feelings I once had that were taken from me at the blink of an eye. Every day, I wish to hug him and be able to tell him the details of my day. I find myself searching for the answers to my questions on his unsolved murder, questions that may not ever be answered. Through my art and this piece in particular, I’ve begun to understand grief is a roller coaster and may not always look the same.
What is The Apologues?
The Apologues (under fiscal sponsorship of the Federation of Neighborhood Centers) is a fashion and art exhibit that uses the arts to assist individuals in healing, empowering themselves, and advocating against gun violence and trauma that plague urban communities. Through the use of fashion, art and music, The Apologues honors the emotions of untreated trauma through the realm of storytelling to trigger healing. We do this through the combination of self portraits of victims and co-victims, wearable art and musical experiences combined.
For more information and to support this initiative, visit our website, https://www.theapologues.org
