March for Our Lives Recap

Girls Justice League attended the March for Our Lives, a student led protest calling for stricter gun laws, on March 24, 2018. The protest was sparked after a gunman entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas, taking the lives of 17 people. The survivors of this horrendous act have gained nationwide media attention after calling for political action from elected officials. The issue of gun control has sparked a huge debate across multiple platforms. The face of movement, predominantly white upper-middle class students, has greatly influenced the media attention they have received. Communities of color, particularly African American and low-income neighborhoods, have been fighting for more intersectional, realistic, and comprehensive restrictions for decades. Gun violence facing communities of color has not gained nearly the same recognition as those of Parkland, Florida; this is not a color blind issue.

The members of Girls Justice League, who are predominantly African American women, did not feel as though the march was for them. They described it as “moment, not a movement.” In a city where Black folks make up more than 40% of the population, the audience of March 24th’s march was far from representative. While the student speakers consisted of a mixed audience, only a select few included the demands of not only white students, but black, brown, and latinx folks but even then, it wasn’t enough. As Jamila Mitchell, from Black Youth Project said, “If Black voices in a “movement” are auxiliary to everything, then it is not a “movement.”