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Still unnerved by the deadly mass shootings in a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, and at a school in Uvalde, Texas, in particular, what seemed like millions of people this weekend took to America’s streets as part of the March For Our Lives protests that sprinkled the country in an effort to compel Congress to finally take decisive steps toward real gun control.
These are some of the Blackest moments from Saturday’s national protests against the scourge of gun violence in which white supremacy has many times been a major motivating factor.
MORE: The History Of America’s Sick And Twisted Infatuation With Guns
The March For Our Lives, which started in 2018 as a response to the Parkland school shooting, now resonates with an even larger swath of Americans as gun violence has become nearly inescapable. Whether it is in the confines of a church or school, which are supposed to be safe spaces, or on public transportation, or just in the streets or homes of Anywhere, USA, gun violence has shown resoundingly that it does not discriminate when and where it happens or whom it happens to.
Therefore, protesters say it’s up to the U.S. government to take charge and institute sensible gun legislation that doesn’t rile up Second Amendment proponents who believe their guns will be taken away. At the same time, folks on the opposite end of the spectrum whose lives have been upended by gun violence are demanding stricter gun policies. In the past, those opposite forces have collided and produced no meaningful change for either of them.
That was the underlying context of the March For Our Lives on Saturday, when throngs of protesters carried signs reading messages to lawmakers like, “Protect Our Kids, Not Guns.”
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Among the protesters was a national contingency of Black people who have also been affected by gun violence. They came out and shared their stories of loss and survival, a combination that they say has steeled their resolve for common-sense gun legislation following what seems like a recent neverending spate of mass shootings.
Those same people affected by gun violence have now become activists in their own right in an effort to prevent the types of firearm-involved tragedies that have forever changed their lives.
Notable Black leaders like U.S. Reps. Ayanna Pressley and Cori Bush and Yolanda King, the granddaughter of the anti-violence icon Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., took part in Saturday’s main protest and rally in Washington, D.C.
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But the protests also took place in major cities like New York City, where local and elected Black leaders like New York State Attorney General Letitia James and New York City Mayor Eric Adams — a former police officer who was booed while marching because of the way he’s responded to local gun violence — participated.
Other notable cities where March For Our Lives protests took place include Buffalo, Orlando, Florida, Kansas City, Missouri, Raleigh, North Carolina, and many, many others.
Keep reading to find some of the Blackest moments from the 2022 March For Our Lives.
March For Our Lives: The Blackest Moments From America Rallying Against Gun Violence was originally published on newsone.com
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Zoe Touray, 18, of Oxford, Michigan, far left, and members of the March For Our Lives movement, speak to Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley, far right, outside the U.S. Capitol on June 9, 2022, in Washington, D.C. Zoe is a survivor of the Oxford High school shooting in November of 2021 and was in D.C. for the March For Our Lives rally.
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Reverend Denise Walden-Glenn speaks during March for Our Lives 2022 on June 11, 2022, in Washington, D.C. Reverend Denise Walden-Glenn is the executive servant leader for VOICE, a social activism group in Buffalo. VOICE has been supporting the Buffalo community to navigate the aftermath of the recent deadly shooting.
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Trevon Bosley speaks on stage during March for Our Lives 2022 on June 11, 2022, in Washington, D.C. Trevon Bosley is a board member for March For Our Lives and organizer with the B.R.A.V.E violence prevention group. Tevon has been an advocate for gun violence prevention since his brother was shot and killed at church.
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WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 11: General view during March for Our Lives 2022 on June 11, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for March For Our Lives) photography,arts culture and entertainment,horizontal,usa,politics,washington dc,general view,politics and government,gun control,human rights,gun violence,gun violence protest,march for our lives,social justice – concept
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Demonstrators attend a March for Our Lives rally against gun violence at the base of the Washington Monument on the National Mall June 11, 2022, in Washington, D.C.
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Poet Jillian Hanesworth recites a poem at a March For Our Lives event on June 11, 2022, in Buffalo, New York, where 18-year-old Payton Gendron opened fire at a Tops grocery store on May 14, killing 10 Black people.
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D.C Youth Mayor Addison Rose speaks during March for Our Lives 2022 on June 11, 2022, in Washington, D.C.
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People march across the Brooklyn Bridge to protest against gun violence in the March for Our Lives march and rally on June 11, 2022, in New York City.
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People march across the Brooklyn Bridge to protest against gun violence in the March for Our Lives march and rally on June 11, 2022, in New York City.
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People march across the Brooklyn Bridge to protest against gun violence in the March for Our Lives march and rally on June 11, 2022, in New York City.
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U.S. Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) speaks during a March for Our Lives rally against gun violence on the National Mall June 11, 2022 in Washington, D.C.
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Demonstrators attend a March for Our Lives rally against gun violence on the National Mall June 11, 2022, in Washington, D.C.
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Demonstrators attend a March for Our Lives rally against gun violence on the National Mall June 11, 2022, in Washington, D.C.
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Erica Ford speaks during March for Our Lives 2022 on June 11, 2022, in Washington, D.C. Erica Ford is a gun violence prevention activist and founder of LIFE Camp, an organization committed to putting an end to gun violence in communities across the country. Most known for her work with vulnerable youth, Erica is credited with reimaging effective pathways to public safety in inner-city communities.
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Yolanda King speaks during March for Our Lives 2022 on June 11, 2022, in Washington, D.C. Yolanda King is the granddaughter of Martin Luther King Jr. and a young activist against gun violence. Yolanda has used her experience having lost her grandfather and great-grandmother to gun violence to advocate for gun safety legislation.
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Rebecca S. Pringle speaks during March for Our Lives 2022 on June 11, 2022 in Washington, D.C. Becky Pringle is the current president of the National Education Association and a lifelong educator. Amidst continued mass shootings at schools across the country, Becky has been an advocate for gun safety legislation to protect students and teachers from gun violence.
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People march across the Brooklyn Bridge to protest against gun violence in the March for Our Lives march and rally on June 11, 2022, in New York City.
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People begin to march across the Brooklyn Bridge to protest against gun violence in the March for Our Lives march and rally on June 11, 2022, in New York City.
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Garnell Whitfield Jr. speaks during March for Our Lives 2022 on June 11, 2022, in Washington, D.C. Former Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield Jr. is the son of Ruth Whitefield, one of the victims of the recent shooting in Buffalo. Garnell recently testified in front of Congress to urge them to pass gun violence prevention legislation.
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A memorial is erected to the individuals killed at a Buffalo grocery store at the starting point of the March for Our Lives protest on June 11, 2022, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.
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RuQuan Brown speaks during March for Our Lives 2022 on June 11, 2022, in Washington, D.C. Ruquan Brown is a D.C. gun violence survivor and activist with March for Our Lives. Ruquan has been fighting for gun safety since 2017, after having lost his step-father and teammate to gun violence. RuQuan is also the co-founder of Love1 and Love100, two organizations dedicated to bringing resources to communities affected by gun violence.
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U.S. Rep. Cori Bush speaks during March for Our Lives 2022 on June 11, 2022. in Washington, D.C. Bush represents Missouri’s First District and has used her power in Congress to be an outspoken advocate for gun violence prevention legislation. She has brought the message from gun violence survivors in St. Louis to Congress.
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Pastor Michael McBride speaks during March for Our Lives 2022 on June 11, 2022, in Washington, D.C. Pastor Mike McBride is a national faith leader, activist, and the Executive Director of the LIVE FREE Campaign. He is one of the national leaders in the movement to implement public health and community-centered gun violence prevention programs, which have contributed to 50% reductions in gun-related homicides in Oakland and many other cities across the country.
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Participants react during March for Our Lives 2022 on June 11, 2022, in Washington, D.C.
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Demonstrators are gathered at the National Mall during the ‘March For Our Lives’ to protest gun violence in Washington, D.C., on June 11, 2022.
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Demonstrators are gathered at the National Mall during the ‘March For Our Lives’ to protest gun violence in Washington, D.C., on June 11, 2022.
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Demonstrators are gathered at the National Mall during the ‘March For Our Lives’ to protest gun violence in Washington, D.C., on June 11, 2022.
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Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser makes a speech during the ‘March For Our Lives’ to protest gun violence in Washington, D.C., on June 11, 2022.
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New York’s Attorney General Letitia James and Mayor Eric Adams (C) take part in a gun control protest March For Our Lives on June 11, 2022, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.
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Gun safety advocates participate in the ‘March For Our Lives’ rally in downtown Orlando, Florida, United States on June 11, 2022.
