Erricka Wonder Voice Bridgeford = E. Wonder
I Am Whole. I Am Complete.
Erricka Bridgeford was trained as a mediator in September of 2001. By 2005, she became the Director of Training for Community Mediation Maryland. In this capacity, she continues to provide training to the 17 community mediation centers in Maryland, as well as to state agencies and organizations, and for national conferences. Her most proud achievement is the fact that she, through CMM, was the first trainer to go into prison (Jessup Correctional Institution & Maryland Correctional Training Center) to provide inmates with the same, full 40-hour Basic Mediation Training that is given to mediators in communities all over MD.
In January of 2007, Erricka’s foundation was shaken when her brother, David, was murdered. In response to her pain, she adopted the motto, “Live out loud….regardless, despite, and because…” In the months that followed her brother’s death, she began doing stand-up comedy to address society’s reaction to her being born with only one hand. As she excelled in the Baltimore comedy scene, she realized and accepted that her purpose was not a joking matter. In 2009, Erricka took her public persona to a deeper level, and became an Inspirational Speaker. Her speaking engagements have ranged from providing inspiration at community festivals, to serving as the keynote speaker for the MD Bar Association’s Youth Leadership Conference.
In 2009, she was asked to testify in front of MD’s legislature, as a murder victim’s family member who is against the death penalty. She became an activist to repeal the death penalty, and in 2013, was featured in several documentaries and news stories about how forgiveness, not revenge, has been the power in her family’s healing process. Erricka’s voice was said to be the key that unlocked the hearts of several key Senators, and MD’s death penalty was repealed. While MD celebrated this historic event, Erricka was disappointed at how an annual $500,000 appropriation for murder victims’ families was ripped from the death penalty repeal bill, in an effort to get it passed. Governor O’Malley immediately promised to put that money in MD’s budget for murder victims’ families, and Erricka did not cease to advocate for that promise to be fulfilled.
In 2014, Governor O'Malley included the promised $500,000 in his proposed budget for FY2015. Bridgeford joined forces with a coalition of murder victims’ family members and organizations to work on keeping the $500,000 in MD's proposed budget, and to work on Maryland House Bill 0355 (Programs for Survivors of Homicide Victims). The $500,000 would fund programs for murder victims' families, while HB0355 was designed to identify survivors of homicide victims as a group of victims, to ensure yearly funding, beyond FY2015. Due to the diligence of the coalition, both the budget and bill were passed. Maryland is the second state in the United States to provide specific funds and resources to murder victims’ family members.
With two back-to-back wins in Maryland (Death Penalty Repeal and Programs for Survivors of Homicide Victims), Bridgeford realized her voice matters within the larger criminal justice arena. She began motivating people with quotes like, "Your voice matters", and "One voice makes a difference". Yet, there was more to come.
Bonnita Spikes (Erricka's legislative mentor, & powerhouse victims' advocate) encouraged Senator Gladden to write Senate Bill 0512. The bill was written to place a murder victims’ family member on Maryland’s Criminal Injuries Compensation Board (CICB). CICB is a body designed to provide aid and assistance to victims of crime in Maryland. This is is the same board that refused to give financial aid to Erricka's family, when her brother was murdered. When the bill was introduced to the MD Senate, Senator Gladden expressed that Bridgeford’s contributions and voice on the matters of murder victims' family members were the catalysts for the bill. In April 2014, SB0512 was signed into law. Erricka Bridgeford (using the experience of David's murder) inspired a law that will help murder victims' families get the support they need, from a newly structured CICB, who will include someone who UNDERSTANDS what families of homicide experience.
Because of her continuous commitment to healing violence: in 2015, Erricka was one of two people in Maryland to be given the award for Outstanding Volunteer Contribution to Victim’s Services, by the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention; served on the leadership team of the 300 Men March Movement (2013-2015); coordinates community activism for Baltimore Girls, a multi-media art movement that uplifts and unifies Baltimore females; was recognized as "Best Baltimorean, 2017" by the City Paper; served as Co-Chair of Mayor Brandon Scott's Public Safety Transition Team in 2020; served on Governor Wes Moore's Transition Team in 2022 as a member of the Public Safety Executive Policy Committee; received the Chief Judge Robert M. Bell Award for Outstanding Contribution to Alternative Dispute Resolution in 2023; birthed and co-organized the Baltimore Ceasefire in May of 2017; and was named 2017's Marylander of the Year by The Baltimore Sun.
The Baltimore Ceasefire was a city-wide call for 72 hours of no murder in Baltimore (August 4th-6th), which also proclaimed that residents would celebrate life throughout the ceasefire weekend. This effort, also known as the Baltimore Peace Challenge, received global attention, as it unified Baltimore in a way that hasn’t been seen in decades. At a time when Baltimore averaged 1 homicide every 19 hours, Baltimore experienced 67 hours without murder during the first ceasefire weekend. Lamontrey and Donte were murdered on August 5th, and people around the world donated to the Baltimore Ceasefire to provide monetary love to their families. From that point on, Baltimore would call quarterly ceasefires every February, May, August, and November, with each weekend experiencing much less violence than Baltimore usually sees. In 2022, the movement changed its name to Baltimore Peace Movement.
Speaking to groups of people is Erricka’s way of getting real with her true essence. She understands that although she was born with a birth injury, she’s not alone in questioning labels, learning from hardships, and laughing and crying through this ride we call life. In the midst of it all, Erricka says, “Let’s really LIVE. Be whole. Be healed. Be complete. Whether you like it or not, you already are… so why not join your blessing?”
Erricka is not defined by society’s perceptions, nor by her own fears. She isn’t defined by her nub, her rape experience, nor the murder of her brother. She understands that when you are free to be yourself, you defy oppression, and heal your experiences. This mindset enables her to offer inspirational messages and fun, inter-active seminars.
Erricka shares her own experiences to foster honest dialogue. She brings her own issues to nurture everyone’s ability to laugh at themselves. She delivers whatever she needs to say with her heart, passion, and humor. This is her Purpose.
Erricka Bridgeford was trained as a mediator in September of 2001. By 2005, she became the Director of Training for Community Mediation Maryland. In this capacity, she continues to provide training to the 17 community mediation centers in Maryland, as well as to state agencies and organizations, and for national conferences. Her most proud achievement is the fact that she, through CMM, was the first trainer to go into prison (Jessup Correctional Institution & Maryland Correctional Training Center) to provide inmates with the same, full 40-hour Basic Mediation Training that is given to mediators in communities all over MD.
In January of 2007, Erricka’s foundation was shaken when her brother, David, was murdered. In response to her pain, she adopted the motto, “Live out loud….regardless, despite, and because…” In the months that followed her brother’s death, she began doing stand-up comedy to address society’s reaction to her being born with only one hand. As she excelled in the Baltimore comedy scene, she realized and accepted that her purpose was not a joking matter. In 2009, Erricka took her public persona to a deeper level, and became an Inspirational Speaker. Her speaking engagements have ranged from providing inspiration at community festivals, to serving as the keynote speaker for the MD Bar Association’s Youth Leadership Conference.
In 2009, she was asked to testify in front of MD’s legislature, as a murder victim’s family member who is against the death penalty. She became an activist to repeal the death penalty, and in 2013, was featured in several documentaries and news stories about how forgiveness, not revenge, has been the power in her family’s healing process. Erricka’s voice was said to be the key that unlocked the hearts of several key Senators, and MD’s death penalty was repealed. While MD celebrated this historic event, Erricka was disappointed at how an annual $500,000 appropriation for murder victims’ families was ripped from the death penalty repeal bill, in an effort to get it passed. Governor O’Malley immediately promised to put that money in MD’s budget for murder victims’ families, and Erricka did not cease to advocate for that promise to be fulfilled.
In 2014, Governor O'Malley included the promised $500,000 in his proposed budget for FY2015. Bridgeford joined forces with a coalition of murder victims’ family members and organizations to work on keeping the $500,000 in MD's proposed budget, and to work on Maryland House Bill 0355 (Programs for Survivors of Homicide Victims). The $500,000 would fund programs for murder victims' families, while HB0355 was designed to identify survivors of homicide victims as a group of victims, to ensure yearly funding, beyond FY2015. Due to the diligence of the coalition, both the budget and bill were passed. Maryland is the second state in the United States to provide specific funds and resources to murder victims’ family members.
With two back-to-back wins in Maryland (Death Penalty Repeal and Programs for Survivors of Homicide Victims), Bridgeford realized her voice matters within the larger criminal justice arena. She began motivating people with quotes like, "Your voice matters", and "One voice makes a difference". Yet, there was more to come.
Bonnita Spikes (Erricka's legislative mentor, & powerhouse victims' advocate) encouraged Senator Gladden to write Senate Bill 0512. The bill was written to place a murder victims’ family member on Maryland’s Criminal Injuries Compensation Board (CICB). CICB is a body designed to provide aid and assistance to victims of crime in Maryland. This is is the same board that refused to give financial aid to Erricka's family, when her brother was murdered. When the bill was introduced to the MD Senate, Senator Gladden expressed that Bridgeford’s contributions and voice on the matters of murder victims' family members were the catalysts for the bill. In April 2014, SB0512 was signed into law. Erricka Bridgeford (using the experience of David's murder) inspired a law that will help murder victims' families get the support they need, from a newly structured CICB, who will include someone who UNDERSTANDS what families of homicide experience.
Because of her continuous commitment to healing violence: in 2015, Erricka was one of two people in Maryland to be given the award for Outstanding Volunteer Contribution to Victim’s Services, by the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention; served on the leadership team of the 300 Men March Movement (2013-2015); coordinates community activism for Baltimore Girls, a multi-media art movement that uplifts and unifies Baltimore females; was recognized as "Best Baltimorean, 2017" by the City Paper; served as Co-Chair of Mayor Brandon Scott's Public Safety Transition Team in 2020; served on Governor Wes Moore's Transition Team in 2022 as a member of the Public Safety Executive Policy Committee; received the Chief Judge Robert M. Bell Award for Outstanding Contribution to Alternative Dispute Resolution in 2023; birthed and co-organized the Baltimore Ceasefire in May of 2017; and was named 2017's Marylander of the Year by The Baltimore Sun.
The Baltimore Ceasefire was a city-wide call for 72 hours of no murder in Baltimore (August 4th-6th), which also proclaimed that residents would celebrate life throughout the ceasefire weekend. This effort, also known as the Baltimore Peace Challenge, received global attention, as it unified Baltimore in a way that hasn’t been seen in decades. At a time when Baltimore averaged 1 homicide every 19 hours, Baltimore experienced 67 hours without murder during the first ceasefire weekend. Lamontrey and Donte were murdered on August 5th, and people around the world donated to the Baltimore Ceasefire to provide monetary love to their families. From that point on, Baltimore would call quarterly ceasefires every February, May, August, and November, with each weekend experiencing much less violence than Baltimore usually sees. In 2022, the movement changed its name to Baltimore Peace Movement.
Speaking to groups of people is Erricka’s way of getting real with her true essence. She understands that although she was born with a birth injury, she’s not alone in questioning labels, learning from hardships, and laughing and crying through this ride we call life. In the midst of it all, Erricka says, “Let’s really LIVE. Be whole. Be healed. Be complete. Whether you like it or not, you already are… so why not join your blessing?”
Erricka is not defined by society’s perceptions, nor by her own fears. She isn’t defined by her nub, her rape experience, nor the murder of her brother. She understands that when you are free to be yourself, you defy oppression, and heal your experiences. This mindset enables her to offer inspirational messages and fun, inter-active seminars.
Erricka shares her own experiences to foster honest dialogue. She brings her own issues to nurture everyone’s ability to laugh at themselves. She delivers whatever she needs to say with her heart, passion, and humor. This is her Purpose.
