Spotlight: Eva Maria Lewis, BA

 Founder and Executive Director, Free Root Operation

Tell us about your areas of interest within injury and violence prevention. Why did you decide to pursue a career in this field?

I am a born and raised southside Chicagoan and the daughter of a Black single mother. I grew up between the South Shore and Woodlawn communities, which are deeply impacted by gun violence, poverty, and divestment. However, growing up, I gained access to the best schooling public school had to offer and was pipelined to an Ivy League institution with a full ride scholarship, all because of my mother’s sacrifice. I simultaneously was burdened with the impact of violence, being unable to safely navigate my community, while also getting a “day pass” to well-resourced environments immune to the same plight. To honor my experience, I decided to dedicate my undergraduate career to understanding the root causes of gun violence. In founding Free Root Operation, I have melded my academic intrigue with the wisdom gained from my community.

How long have you been a member of SAVIR? What has been your favorite part about being involved with SAVIR?

I joined SAVIR this year! I was able to present my research with the Johns Hopkins University Center for Gun Violence Solutions at the conference in April, which was an amazing experience. I love how passionate the members are about the field, and the reverence they have for the communities most impacted. I believe fostering intentional relationships with those that are at the core of an issue is crucial. I witnessed conference attendees do the work of unpacking traditional transactional research-based relationships and striving for something more equitable in real time, which was refreshing.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of your career so far?

The most rewarding aspect of my career has been witnessing transformation in real time. The women I work with are mostly older than me. They are mostly mothers who have had to navigate unimaginable violence and strife. Many of them have become stagnant, and struggle to imagine more for themselves and their families. But through our programming, specifically the BLOOM Cohort, they come to understand and forgive themselves. They come to aspire to reach goals that were not in their purview only a few months before interacting with us. They gain the tools to care for themselves as individuals, and to begin to raise themselves and their families out of poverty. Witnessing someone’s 360 degree transformation is miraculous, and shows me that what I set out to do through research, advocacy, and system building is not in vain. It is not far-fetched. Systematic healing is possible, and is far more powerful than systematic hindrance.

What do you like to do in your free time?

As a self-care advocate, I love this question! I like to cook and get super creative with my ingredients/ recipes. I also love making tea and working with plants to make herbal medicine. I love reading fiction and watching outrageous television. In my free time, I try to do things that speak to my inner child. I try to lean into what I love rather than what I feel I am “supposed” to love. The work is hard! And while I am a community leader and worker, I am a survivor too. I take care of myself, and it enables me to care for others.