On May 30, Howard University hosted its 5th Annual Victors Over Violence Award Ceremony at Howard University Hospital, an event that honors survivors of traumatic violence as well as the healthcare teams that support them, the event also functions as a healing space for the larger Washington, D.C., community.
Howard University’s hospital has been designated a Level I Trauma Center and treats approximately 40,000 patients a year through its emergency department, but it also holds space for trauma surgeons, nurses, mental health advocates, and a violence intervention and prevention unit that provides wraparound care extending from the community to the hospital’s intensive care unit.
According to a press release from Howard University, some of the scars survivors carry don’t ever heal, as one honoree, Derrick Scott, made clear in his remarks at the ceremony. “The pain doesn’t leave—you just learn to live with it,” Scott said. “I lost my best friend. Every day I carry that pain. But I’m still here. And I’m still fighting.”
Kenyatta Hazlewood, BSN, MPH, RN, and the operational officer of the Trauma Program who hosts the ceremony, said in the press release that Scott’s story is central to why the hospital is committed to honoring all of the victims of traumatic violence, including, but not limited to, gun violence.
“This department is about more than saving lives—it’s about building them back up,” Hazlewood said. “Derrick’s story reminds us why trauma work must include both the body and the soul.”
According to Dr. Alexander Evans, although the healthcare team’s initial goal is to treat the patient that comes into the hospital, their subsequent goal involves the community that the patient belongs to, including people like Scott, who may be dealing with survivor’s guilt.
“The first goal is always to save a life,” Evans said in the press release. “But what comes after—the emotional, psychological, and spiritual healing—that’s where the real recovery begins. Every patient carries their injury differently. Some need surgeries. Some need silence. All of them need support.”
Scott, meanwhile, opened up about the wounds that those who live carry inside of them, the wounds that medicine and surgeries can’t possibly hope to heal.
“Not everybody walks away from it,” Scott said. “I lost my friend that night. I think about it every day. Some of us are still in it. Some of us are trying to run from it. But the best way through is to face it, to talk about it, and to find people who won’t let you give up.”
In addition to Scott, the hospital also honored 22-year-old Rayne Bradshaw, who was paralyzed as the result of a mass shooting. Bradshaw was not able to attend the ceremony, but the staff, like Hazlewood, praised her courage and her progress as she undergoes therapy to recover physically.
According to Dr. Roger A. Mitchell, the president of Howard University Hospital, Scott’s story emphasizes the need for traumatic violence to be seen and treated as a public health crisis.
“When we talk about trauma, we’re not just talking about gunshot wounds or car accidents—we’re talking about the chronic, layered impact of violence on entire communities. That means showing up for survivors not only when they arrive in crisis, but long after they’ve been discharged.”
He concluded, “Healing doesn’t happen in a single surgery. It’s a process, and it requires community. Events like this luncheon remind us that the people we care for are more than cases. When you see someone like Derrick come back stronger, it’s a reminder of the impact we can have when trauma care is continuous, compassionate, and community-based.”
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