Listen to Shell’s Story

“And so we walk over to Fourth Street in the scene is just completely unimaginable. It's it's total destruction, you know. Finding her phone would be not possible or finding anything. And because there is so much happening, I just have like tunnel vision with these two.”

- Shell

Shell 

Yes, I can tell you about that moment. I'm a long term Charlottesville resident, and I showed up with many other people to offer support to our community that day, part of a mental health and wellness team. And we get a call from somebody that, you know is letting us know there was a car accident down on Fourth Street and we don't know much about it. So we're we're walking down and we cross the mall and we're on Water Street. And I see street medics. I see activists and people I know and don't know. And it's a really chaotic scene. And I'm just trying to find a place to to offer some comfort or support. And I see these two people and she's limping pretty badly. And I ask if I can, if they need anything, if I could offer some help. And first thing, they're trying to collect their belongings. And so we walk over to Fourth Street in the scene is just completely unimaginable. It's it's total destruction, you know. Finding her phone would be not possible or finding anything. And because there is so much happening, I just have like tunnel vision with these two. And we sit down on the curb and we notice there are no more ambulances to take the hurt people away. So I'm text messaging this other person who has done transport for another activist who was harmed earlier in the day and she's planning to come up Fourth Street in a way where we could just walk her over. And so I'm going back and forth between messaging and just really checking in. Folks are scared and confused and there's a lot of tension around us. And so finally, we're able to get this young woman walking across the street. We're helping her over and then a f***ing cop is screaming at me to go to clear the street, to get out of the street. And I'm really confused. I just want to get her to the car so this person can take her to the hospital. But then there's some relief because another ambulance comes in and I'm watching her every second. I'm watching her as she's going into the ambulance and they're checking her out and she's getting the support she needs. And I'm just watching her like she's my own child from this crowded place on the sidewalk where everyone is. And, you know, the tension that I feel in my own body as I'm revisiting this scene with those people is that this is the reality for so many people, the day to day racial trauma felt in the body. And so this is how I want to continue to show up for my community to promote, you know, greater mental health and well-being.

Music credit: Craft Case / Shipment / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com