Maya Wells oral history interview , 2019 October 29
Description
Maya Wells, UNC Charlotte student, president of Amnesty International at UNC Charlotte, and Student Activist Coordinator of Amnesty International of North Carolina, shares her personal experiences and thoughts related to the April 30 shootings on campus. Ms. Wells describes the disjuncture and shock of seeing the event unfold on a television while at a local gym, and her feelings of frustration that media coverage initially focused on the shooter rather than the victims of the crime. She stresses the need for more compassion, kindness, and generosity of spirit on an individual basis, and more government support for grade school counseling, mental health resources, and gun control at a societal level, if future mass shootings are to be prevented. She also relates details of student activism against gun violence, noting that there had been little interest on campus until the April 30 shooting occurred. In conclusion, Ms. Wells expresses concern that a focus on increased security is not a panacea and is often at the expense of funding other important preventative programs.
