Mother uses pain for purpose of changing lives

Pamela Bosley, mother of Terrell Bosley and founder of the Terrell Bosley Anti-Violence Association, started the organization after her son was murdered in 2006. The goal of the organization is to change lives and bring about peace.
Pamela Bosley, mother of Terrell Bosley and founder of the Terrell Bosley Anti-Violence Association, started the organization after her son was murdered in 2006. The goal of the organization is to change lives and bring about peace.

Mother uses pain for purpose of changing lives

By Tia Carol Jones

Pamela Bosley’s son Terrell Bosley was a gifted musician and a music lover who played music at church.

At the age of 18, Terrell was shot and killed on the grounds of a church in 2006. Bosley founded the Terrell Bosley Anti Violence Association. The goal of the organization is to change lives and bring about peace.

Bosley said that first year after Terrell’s murder was a struggle for her, she tried to take her life twice. She realized God has a bigger plan for her life when she founded the organization, which bares the name of her son.

To bring a change and peace in the community, the organization hosts a basketball tournament in the summer, in collaboration with New Bethlehem Church, located at 8850 S. Cottage Grove. In the past, more than 500 people have been in attendance. There are food giveaways and tables with resources. In the winter, the Terrell Bosley Anti Violence Association hosts a coat giveaway. The goal of that event is to giveaway at least 200 coats to young children in need.

“We do that to uplift the community because I know there are so many people in need.  I know that in order for me to save my other two sons I have to reach out and help everybody else,” she said.

Bosley worked in banking for more than 20 years. Now, she works with Father Michael Pfleger at St. Sabina Church in Purpose Over Pain. The organization helps parents who have lost their children to gun violence.

Bosley has turned her pain into purpose. Her motivation comes from God and from her trying to figure out a way to save her other two sons, her nephews and nieces, as well as the young people she works with at St. Sabina Church in an organization called the Brave Youth Leaders. “I believe that if I work hard and do the things I do, I might not see it in my lifetime, the change, but I believe my sons will see the change,” she said.

Bosley credits her dad, who was the Pastor at New Bethlehem Church for more than 30 years. He helped keep her grounded and keeps her encouraged. Her husband also helps her, as well as her family. Bosley reached out to Father Pfleger when Terrell was killed because she heard him talking about gun violence. Pfleger took Pamela and her husband under his wing, teaching them how to go out and do prayer vigils in the community. She calls Pfleger her best friend.

Bosley is very concerned with the gun violence taking place in Chicago. She gets phone calls from parents who are trying to bury their children, helping them with funeral arrangements, helping them set up GoFundMe pages to get money to pay for the funerals. She wants the money from the State of Illinois that is available for crime and gun violence prevention to go to the grassroots organizations that are on the ground doing the work in the trenches. The money will fund much needed resources in the community.

“It’s going to take our people to come outside the house and bring our communities back, just like back in the day, our ancestors, they didn’t have much, but they came together and they united together, and they took care of each other. We have to realize the young Black men we see, I know they characterize them as gangs and selling drugs, we have to reach out to them and help,” she said. “It’s going to take us within our community to save our community.  That’s why I do all the things I do with the Terrell Bosley organization because we have to come together and figure this thing out. Because, nobody is going to save us.”

Bosley’s other son, Trevon, is a youth activist who has participated in the March for Our Lives in Washington, DC, and he helped organize a March for Our Lives in Chicago. She is proud of her son and the work he has done to bring about peace. She described him as outspoken. She believes older people working with young people to end gun violence is imperative for anti-violence work.

Bosley wants Black people to unite and come to the table and figure out how to save our community. Bosley wants other parents who have lost children to gun violence to know they cannot get through it alone. She encourages them to reach out to people and talk to positive people. She also encourages them to pray. And said, “if they can just fix their mouth to pray to God, He can help you.”

For more information about the Terrell Bosley Anti Violence Association, email pambosley551@gmail.com, or call St. Sabina Church at (773) 483-4300.

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