Emma Gonzalez. A senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. And a survivor of another school shooting.
Have you been watching the news?
Emma is fierce. Passionate. Well-spoken. And willing to push for change. All things I admire.
What’s interesting to watch is how some people think children don’t have the wherewithal to create lasting transformation.
In which case, they’ve totally forgotten about the young people who protested against the Vietnam War.
And they are probably not aware of all the kids who marched in Birmingham, Alabama in May 1963. Those black children protested for equality in a deeply, segregated south. And the adults were afraid to do too much in Birmingham. Afraid of being attacked, having their jobs or homes taken away, afraid of their families being harmed.
But the kids, they persisted. They marched even when the fire hose pressure was so strong it could peel the bark off a tree.
They protested even when police dogs attacked them.
They protested even though they knew they were going to jail.
That is dedication. And that is what I see in the eyes of Emma Gonzalez. A fierceness that cannot be extinguished.
What are you so passionate about?
It’s time for you to share what you care deeply about. The world needs your magic.
