(March 29, 2018)—Those of us who have lost loved ones to gun violence, and live with that pain every single day, no matter how many years pass…
Those of us who are outraged that we, as a nation, have not found the will to change the laws and policies that make it easier to buy weapons of war than it is to get a quality education…
Those of us who want communities to be safe without criminalizing our black and brown students…
We are not alone!
Hundreds of thousands of people proved that by showing up for March for Our Lives protests in Washington, D.C. – and in more than 800 other places around the globe – on Saturday, March 24.
I was proud to be in D.C. representing Cal Wellness. I was fired up and deeply moved by the young people leading this movement. And I was also proud to be there representing California, a state that has enacted some of the best policies in the country to reduce gun violence and help create safer communities. We have shown the world that, even in a place as diverse and large as California, where there’s collective will, there’s a collective way.
I have new hope that Americans are calling for a country where we demonstrate our care for one another by listening and honoring each other’s voices, pain, and efforts to create safe, nurturing environments where all people, regardless of where they live, work or play, can be healthy and experience wellness.
So, check out this video we made of our trip to D.C., spotlighting the voices of the young people and organizers at RYSE and Community Coalition, two Cal Wellness grant partners who made the trip to march alongside their peers from Parkland, Florida, and other communities. We are not alone!