In 2019, 23 people were killed and 22 injured following a shooting in an El Paso Walmart.
The gunman drove 10 hours to carry out the crime in response to what he called a “Hispanic invasion of Texas” in his manifesto. It is the deadliest attack on Latinos in modern history.
While the massacre touched, saddened and infuriated people from all across Texas and the world, it also inspired small acts of kindness.
Playwright and director Gregory Ramos taught in El Paso for nearly five years and has deep ties to the community. He is one of many who turned to art as a method to heal.
Ramos, chair of the Department of Theater and Dance at the University of Redlands in Southern California, wrote Acts of Kindness: The El Paso Play as a response to the tragedy.
“I was devastated and like many people in El Paso, you wonder why here? Why would someone come to a community that is so tight knit?” he asked. “There were a lot of pieces to the puzzle that I was wrestling with, as was the community of El Paso.”
The play is told through community interviews Ramos conducted following the shooting. It touches on gun control, immigration, and political polarization.
The play was performed in El Paso earlier this month on the five-year anniversary of the shooting.
“I saw a lot of tears. I felt the audience was very much with the piece,” he said. “It’s a challenging story, and it’s a very painful story, and I don’t think it's for all audiences. The producers and directors of the piece were wonderful and they made sure that people felt safe.”
