First and foremost, we are deeply saddened by the Santa Fe, Texas school shooting this past week. We send our love and support to the families affected by the shooting and the entire Santa Fe community. We stand with March For Our Lives in calling for urgent action. This is the 22nd school shooting of 2018. Enough is Enough.
The local student-led chapter of March for Our Lives Boston is calling for 50 Miles More: March For Our Lives on June 27. Here is what they asked us to share:
On March 7, 1965, Martin Luther King, Jr., the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and thousands of others embarked on a 50 mile journey from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama. The march was a protest to African American’s limited access to voting due to unjust practices like literacy tests, poll taxes and pure violence.
Today, youth are still fighting for the prosperity of the African American community and communities of color. Gun violence disproportionately affects people of color. A black male is thirteen times more likely to die from a gun than his white counterpart, and a black female is three times more likely to die from a gun than her white counterpart.
It is clear that racial injustices are still present today. So on June 27, we hope to have 250 youth march from Worcester to Springfield to rally around gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson. This action is called 50 Miles More: Mass, a joint initiative between March For Our Lives: Boston, Stop Handgun Violence, and more.
The student organizers have three requests of our members:
- A call for adult volunteers: sign up here
- A call for teachers or students who might be interested in attending (pre-registration is intended to ensure high representation of students of color: sign up here)
- A call for any students or adults interested in helping plan the march: sign up here
We are proud to support their efforts and all efforts to pass gun reform legislation and resources to support comprehensive social emotional supports for families and students in schools. We do not accept gun violence in our schools or communities as the “new normal.” We will continue to use our collective voice and collective action as union members to advocate for safe and welcoming schools with the full resources and supports our students deserve.
Have a good week.