1 year after George Floyd's murder, LA resident reflects: 'There are still these little flames'
Three days after a Minneapolis police officer murdered George Floyd, and an uprising of people demanding justice intensified, Eyewitness News talked with Christa Shelton, one of many people feeling deep pain.
At the time, she described how tough it was to simply show up to work as a personal trainer.
"I was wiping away tears and it took everything within me to focus and zero-in on being there for my clients when I desperately needed to be there for myself in that moment," Shelton said back in 2020.
Over the last year, Shelton has used her voice to raise awareness about many different topics.
"I feel like I have definitely increased talking more about just everything from the pandemic to the social and racial justice issues; that has definitely increased - definitely since we've last spoke," she said.
The activism of a massive collective of people has led to some changes since we first spoke.
"Even though there are these changes happening, there are still these little flames everywhere. And there is still a lot of change that still needs to take place," she said.
One telling moment, Shelton said, was just before a guilty verdict was announced in the murder of George Floyd.
"The fact that... there was even any question which way that was going to go really highlights how far we still have yet to go."
She's navigated how to prioritize her mental health while vulnerably sharing a wide range of emotions.
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"Yet another black woman has been murdered," she shared on one Instagram post.
She's raising awareness about racial and social injustice that many communities and people are experiencing.
"We have been living under a tremendous amount of pain and trauma. And it's a lot to process. So depending on the day, will determine how I'm going to show up to that day," she said.
Shelton hosts conversations on everything from finance to beauty and mental health. She is especially passionate about helping women build physical and mental strength.
"I use the hashtag: not just reps and sets on most of my posts. Because I really feel that what I do definitely extends beyond just lifting weights and you know, strengthening your body."
She stresses in order to keep going, it's crucial to rest, and sometimes she intentionally takes a step back from news and social media.
"We want to continue to be fueled up so that we can continue to be agents for change because if we're run down, there's no way that we can continue to show up," she said.
