While rallies across the nation were organized by high school peers of the students killed at a Florida high school, a group of elementary children, many just 10 or 11 years old, captivated audiences coast-to-coast.
Yolanda Renee King, the 9-year-old granddaughter of
Martin Luther King, Jr. led the Washington crowd in a chant about her generation and spoke about her family’s legacy.
“My grandfather had a dream that his four little children would not be judged by the color of their skin, but the content of their character,” King said. “I have a dream that enough is enough and this should be a gun free world, period."
In an interview after her speech with CNN, King said she’s tired of lockdown drills practiced in her 4th grade class just yesterday, “It’s unfortunate people have these guns and use them to hurt people,” she said.
Naomi Wadler, 11, a fifth grade student from Alexandria, Va. quoted Pulitzer-Prize winning author Toni Morrison and spoke out in Washington D.C.’s rally.
“I am here today to acknowledge and represent the African-American girls whose stories don’t make the front page of every national newspaper whose stories don’t lead on the evening news,” Wadler said. “I represent the African-American women who are victims of gun violence, who are simply statistics instead of vibrant beautiful girls full of potential.”
Wadler and a fellow student led a walkout earlier this month at their George Mason Elementary School — pausing an extra 18th minute to recognize Courtlin Arrington, the 17-year-old Alabama high school junior shot and killed March 7 by a classmate.
Her speech quickly trended on social media as the elementary school student reminded listeners she’s only a few years from having the right to vote.
Christopher Underwood, 11, of Brooklyn, lost his brother to a street corner shooting when he was five. He said he lost his childhood to gun violence and has turned his pain and anger into action.
“For me, I would like to not worry about dying, and focus on math and science and playing basketball with my friends,” Underwood said to the Washington, D.C. crowd. “Don’t I deserve to grow up?”