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Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting
The Stoneman Douglas High School shooting was a tragedy in which 17 people were killed and 17 more were injured. Nikolas Cruz, 19, opened fired on individuals at Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14th, 2018 (March For Our Lives, 2022). To this day, it is a horrific tragedy that has crushed the hearts of relatives and friends of those who were harmed. Soon after this event, the March For Our Lives movement was started in the hopes that nothing like this would ever happen again. -
March for Our Lives Movement Began
The March For Our Lives movement began on March 24, 2018, with a protest in Washington, DC. The goal was to end gun violence and create safe communities. In the three years since it began, the movement has grown to become one of the largest youth-led and anti-gun violence initiatives in history. Its influence is unquestionable, as it has since spurred other rallies such as the Chicago Peace March and resulted in around 70 new gun control laws in the United States (Peters, 2019). -
March for Our Lives Single-day Protest
On March 24, 2018, March for Our Lives organized a single-day protest against gun violence. The event attracted between 200,000 and 800,000 youth, making it one of the largest single-day protests in US history. The action sparked more protests around the country, with at least 1.2 million people taking part in total (Lopez, 2018). -
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Road to Change Tour
During the summer of 2018, March for Our Lives went on a Road to Change Tour across the United States. With almost 70 sites around the country, March for Our Lives was able to register over 50,000 new voters (March For Our Lives, 2022), while also meeting with family members, community leaders, and survivors of gun violence. This event broadened their knowledge of gun violence and its impact on individual communities. -
2018 Midterm Election
The midterm election of 2018 spurred the highest percentage of youth turn out ever seen in U.S. history. The March for Our Lives campaign is largely responsible for the 47 percentage increase over the previous midterm elections (March For Our Lives, 2022). Youth around the country were able to participate and express their opinions as a result of the election and the knowledge and inspiration offered by March for Our Lives. -
Mayors for Our Lives Pledge
Mayors for Our Lives was a March for Our Lives event in conjunction with The U.S. Conference of Mayors, African American Mayors Association, and cities across the country. Mayors across United States pledged to prioritize the issue of gun violence. Over 200 mayors have pledged to support March for Our Lives (March For Our Lives, 2021). -
67 Gun Control Laws Passed in 2018
The tragedy of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting spurred outrage and a call for change in U.S. gun control regulations. By the end of 2018, 67 new gun safety laws were enacted (Peters, 2019). Some measures include enacting an extreme risk protection statute, raising the minimum age for purchasing firearms, and lengthening waiting times. This was a huge victory for March for Our Lives, as it represents significant improvement in gun safety in the United States. -
Aid & Alliance
Though the March for Our Lives movement has slowed since 2018, it is still pushing to eliminate gun violence. March for Our Lives now includes a program named "Aid & Alliance". This is a resource-sharing project that has effectively distributed nearly $500,000 to finance anti-violence efforts (March For Our Lives, 2022). The goal is to give assistance and support to people and communities who have been harmed by gun violence.