Survivors and Community Leaders Gather in Grand Junction for Right to Heal Event
Grand Junction, TN – August 16, 2025 – Survivors of violence, community leaders, and advocates came together Saturday, August 16, 2025, for a Right to Heal: Survivors Speak event in Grand Junction, Tennessee, which is part of the nationwide Right to Heal campaign led by Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice (CSSJ). The Hardeman County gathering gave survivors a platform to share their stories, learn about Tennessee’s Criminal Injuries Compensation program, and connect with organizations dedicated to prevention and healing.
The Right to Heal campaign is a survivor-led initiative, which travels to communities across the country to raise awareness about victim compensation programs and the barriers that prevent many families from accessing them. These funds are designed to cover urgent costs such as funeral expenses, counseling, medical treatment, and lost wages. Yet nationally, most survivors are unaware the program exists or are denied due to complex rules and eligibility restrictions. By creating space for survivors to share their experiences and educating communities about available resources, Right to Heal aims to shift the focus of public safety from punishment to healing and recovery.
In Grand Junction, Commissioner Joseph Jenkins, who generously donated the building for the event, welcomed attendees and spoke about the importance of local leadership in supporting those who have been harmed. Bobby and Temeshia Boyle, founders of People Link Under God (PLUG), called for community unity and faith-driven action to create safer neighborhoods. The program also featured Ruby Harvey, a surviving mother who lost her son, Clarence Minter Jr., to gun violence in 2014. Her testimony offered a powerful reminder of the lasting pain carried by families long after the headlines fade.
The event was hosted by Rafiah Muhammad-McCormick, CEO and Founder of Rodney’s Village, whose organization works to prevent violence and build healthy communities through education, support, and empowerment. Rodney’s Village focuses on equipping young parents with the tools to raise emotionally healthy children, while also strengthening neighborhoods through access to housing, healthcare, financial resources, and community support. By cultivating what it calls a “village mentality,” the organization seeks to stop cycles of violence before they begin.
In addition to leading Rodney’s Village, Muhammad-McCormick also serves as Director of Community Outreach for Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (TADP), which, along with Mothers Over Murder, co-sponsored the event. She has been a driving force behind reforms to Tennessee’s Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund, after her research revealed that as many as 70 percent of claims were being denied. Those findings helped fuel legislation to expand eligibility and increase access for victims seeking help in the aftermath of crime.
While Right to Heal is a national initiative, the decision to bring the campaign to Hardeman County was also strategic. Muhammad-McCormick and Rodney’s Village saw it as a meaningful opportunity to build momentum for the upcoming Healed People Heal People conference, scheduled for this fall in West Tennessee. That statewide initiative—led by TADP, Mothers Over Murder, and Rodney’s Village—has already drawn media attention in Memphis, Nashville, and Chattanooga, where survivors’ voices have helped shape conversations about safety, justice, and prevention.
Together, the Hardeman County Right to Heal event and the statewide Healed People Heal People campaign reflect a growing movement across Tennessee and beyond: survivors reclaiming their stories, lifting their voices, and demanding that systems prioritize healing over punishment.
“As a surviving mother who lost my son Rodney Armstrong to gun violence in July 2020, I know firsthand the pain families carry,” said Muhammad-McCormick. “Through Right to Heal and Healed People Heal People, we’re making sure that survivors are not only seen and heard but that our voices shape a future where justice truly means healing.”
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