Since the tragic events of August 3, 2019, the City of Socorro and its neighboring communities have shared the collective grief of losing twenty-three innocent lives to senseless violence. But this grief has over-time, transformed into a push for unity and communal support. The City of Socorro took initiative in the healing process and hosted a three-day event, with the last day serving as commemoration and remembrance for those lost and those effected by August 3rd.
Grant Coordinator for The City, Alejandra Valadez, discussed the event and what it meant to host it during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
“From personal experiences and observations, we saw that many families had been deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the August 3rd tragedy,” she explained. “It was important to explore ways to come together as a community in a COVID-safe way and redefine how we can move forward. We knew this was a perfect fit for our community to begin the process of healing.”
Notably, an immersive art installation called Tribute 23 was featured at the event, in which guests were invited to contribute to the exhibit that displays words of hope and encouragement for the community.
“We were originally contacted by local artist Laura Turon about her participatory art installation, Tribute 23,” Alejandra explained. “which is an immersive experience that community members can participate in and connect as a community in remembrance of the 23 victims.”
Beyond Tribute 23, the event, called the Socorro Siesta, consisted of different activities that focused heavily on mindfulness, exercising both the mind and body, as well as activities that were family oriented. Attendees of the event had the opportunity to participate in guided yoga, creating art and plant potting, which were all coordinated with the intention to offer multiple outlets of healing.
“These are activities that help the healing process by engaging your physical body and providing a sense of agency and accomplishment,” Alejandra stated. “We hope that community members continue to practice these activities at home and incorporate some of them into their daily lives.”
Though the events of August 3rd will be remembered as a tragedy and is deserving of its own respects, the emergence of unity and blooming communal support is something that The City hopes to continue celebrating.
“August 3rd is important because it reminds us of how precious the people around us are,” Alejandra said, “and how the people around us make our community the beautiful place that it is, and how strong we are when we come together.”
Through this event The City hopes to provide even just a small sense of hope for Socorroans, both when remembering the attempt to crack the spirit of the borderlands on August 3rd, as well as the difficulties that come with surviving the current pandemic.
“I hope participants walked away with a feeling of hope for a brighter future and a mindset of empowerment,” Alejandra said. “We hope they walked away with a sense of hope, autonomy and agency as they continue moving through these difficult times.”