The March for Our Lives, which was on March 24 in Washington D.C. was orchestrated by survivors of the Parkland shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, though there were hundreds of other marches around the world. In case you missed it, here is a list of some of the most notable speakers at the march who are all young people — the face of the movement.
1. Emma Gonzalez
Emma Gonzalez is one of the most prevalent Parkland shooting survivors in the news. She has taken to social media to spread her message, which is that gun violence has to end. Gonzalez gave a six-minute-long speech to symbolize how long it took the active shooter to brutally murder 17 of her classmates. In her speech, Gonzalez said that "everyone who has been touched by the cold grip of gun violence" understands the way in which a community is changed by such a tragic event.
2. Yolanda Renee King
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s granddaughter Yolanda Renee King, at nine years old, gave a speech at the march at the age of nine. In her brief speech, King said that she has a dream to end gun violence the same way that her grandfather had a dream to end racism. King exclaimed that "enough is enough."
3. David Hogg
David Hogg is another survivor of the MSDHS shooting and a classmate of Emma Gonzalez. The theme of Hogg's speech was "no more," as he drew attention to the way the NRA has been bribing politicians. Hogg encouraged listeners to vote in the future so that elected officials will reflect the views of the people. He said, "Now is the time to come together, not as Democrats, not as Republicans, but as Americans."
4. Naomi Wadler
Naomi Wadler, an eleven-year-old from Virginia who led a school walk-out in protest of gun violence, said she was speaking at the march "to acknowledge and represent the African American girls whose stories don't make the front page of every national newspaper." Unlike other speeches, Wadler's speech drew attention to a different aspect of gun violence shootings: the forgotten murders of black women.
5. Edna Chavez
Edna Chavez, a teen activist from Los Angeles, spoke at the march about the excessive gun violence in her hometown. Chavez's own brother was a victim of gun violence when he was in high school. She said that she "lost more than [her] brother that day. [She] lost [her] hero. [She] also lost [her] mother, [her] sister, and [herself] to that trauma." Chavez directly addressed policymakers at the end of her speech, asking them to fund things that may help prevent gun violence like mental health resources and mentorship programs.
6. Mya Middleton
Mya Middleton, a teenager from Chicago, told the traumatic story of how she was almost shot in a grocery store her freshman year of high school. Middleton asked the audience to "help us by screaming to the government that we are tired of crying for help to a group of people who have turned their backs on us." Middleton said it was time for everyone to stop turning a blind eye to the excessive violence caused by guns.
7. Cameron Kasky
Cameron Kasky is a survivor of the Parkland shooting, and he was the first to speak at the March for Our Lives in Washington DC. He began his speech by saying the revolution that he is a part of is a "powerful and peaceful one because it is of, by and for the young people of this country."
Kasky spoke all of the names of his fallen classmates and said that the march was all for them. He concluded his speech by saying how bright the future looks for America because of the dedication of young people to change.
