Warriors for Gun Control: March for Our Lives
Naomi Wadler was one of the most inspirational speakers at the March For Our Lives protest in Washington, DC in 2018. Naomi Wadler highlighted many tragedies in her speech, the first most imminent is Naomi being just 11 years old and having to advocate for gun control to prevent mass shootings of young children like her in school-settings. Secondly, Naomi Wadler centered her speech around and highlighted women of color and specifically black women, who were victims of gun violence, and who because of anti-blackness, did not receive mass-media attention and outrage. Wadler reminds the American people that black women are also victims of this violence, but are also humans, who have been taken too soon and before these young victims could reach their full potential. Naomi Wadler used her platform in the MFOL movement to say the names of Courtlin Arrington, Hadiya Pendelton, Taiyania Thompson, 3 very young black women who died at the hands of gun violence. It is breathtaking to see her address America’s desensitization to and lack of care for black and brown bodies, especially of black women, but it is also tragically clear that young black girls, like Naomi, are very aware of this racism. Seeing an 11 year old Naomi have the strength and courage to speak in front of thousands is awe-inducing, yet it also shows how backwards American democracy and laws are, what nation can be ok with children begging for basic safety? The fact that children need to advocate for their own safety and justice is deplorable. Naomi is a force to be reckoned with, she has an amazing speaking voice and message, a message so important and emotionally charged it had me in tears. Wadler’s clarity and understanding of gun violence and her action to create a walk-out protest in fifth-grade shows so much initiative and leadership. She is the modern “warrior girl” as discussed in The New School’s Girl Innovator course, as she is an inspiration that spreads her courage to others. Naomi Wadler’s speech still rings true to today’s climate, especially with anti-racism work, as we must acknowledge and dismantle centering victimhood around whiteness and white people in mainstream social movements. As Naomi reminds us, black women are statistically the most vulnerable and not only need to know they matter and be remembered, but they also need to be uplifted and given space to vocalize and be leaders in the conversations around social justice.
Children's safety and public safety should be priority number one, not the profit from guns.
Another March For Our Lives’ speaker who also evoked intense emotions for me was Emma Gonzalez, she is, like Naomi, a warrior. Emma Gonzalez used her speech to bring life back to the victims who were murdered in a school-shooting at her school, by their fellow classmate, which was powerful as the media usually narrates the victims as mere statistics. While listing them all by name, Emma recalled the extracurricular activities, catchphrases, personalities and relationships of all the victims, humanizing them while repeating that they would never again do those things. Gonzalez’ ability to make the audience understand such a life-altering and traumatic event was greatly emotionally effective. The most intense moment of her speech was not characterized by what she said, but by her silence, when she stood at the podium for 6:20 seconds, the time it took for the shooter to commit his crimes. The silence spoke volumes of the unimaginable fear, violence, chaos and tragedy that had occurred. The silence expanded upon the severity of this community’s trauma. All the while, Emma stood silent and steady, batting away tears while she was reliving that trauma.
When George Floyd was murdered earlier this year, a big part of the nation mourned with his family, as we too understood that he was no longer breathing because of a system of anti-blackness and oppression. One of the more therapeutic and emotional conversations about systemic racism I digitally witnessed was via The New School. Two faculty members started the conversation by having a moment of silence for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the duration of Floyd’s murder. This too, spoke volumes of how unimaginable the violence and fear was during this timeframe. Having to reflect and sit with the duration of violence makes you realize how trauma affects the perception of time, and minutes can become unbearable and endless in the lens of fear and pain.
We need to continue to support the March For Our Lives movement! Although the movement has created some legislative changes and pressured companies to distance themselves and sever some NRA ties, there is so much more that needs to be done in this country to ensure public safety and combat systemic violence.
Courtlin Arrington, Hadiya Pendelton and Taiyania Thompson, whose lives were taken too soon from gun violence. Photos are courtesy of their respective families.