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John— This February marks 100 years of Black History Month—a century of honoring our culture, our resilience, and our brilliance. When I need inspiration to move forward, I always look back at the Black leaders who have sacrificed, inspired, and fought to make our future possible. This month, we honor them—and celebrate the Black organizers who continue leading the fight to end gun violence today. To our Black Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers and survivors: keep showing up. We need you. Your voices matter. Your presence matters. You matter. At Everytown, supporting Black leadership and telling the full truth about how gun violence impacts Black communities isn't optional—it's central to who we are. Across our movement, Black leadership shows up in countless ways, and I want to lift up just one recent example that reflects the power, care, and vision young Black people are bringing to our movement: Students Demand Action started the Young Changemakers Summit in 2023—an organizing weekend that kicks off a "Changemaker Year" program. Last year's cohort included:
At the Summit, students connect with other movement leaders, challenge each other, and exchange bold ideas—while creating real, actionable solutions to prevent gun violence in their communities. Then, they spend a year putting their plans into action. Over 40 Black students from across the country came together to build power, share their lived experiences, and shape the future of this movement.
"We end gun violence by equipping young people from the communities most impacted with the skills, support, and love they need to transform their communities. And this Summit weekend, we got to witness exactly what that looks like." —Makayla Jordan, Students Demand Action Organizing Manager and co-creator of the Young Changemakers Summit. The creativity, courage, and leadership of our young changemakers gives me so much hope—not just for this movement, but for the future of our country. Thank you for being part of this movement.
With gratitude, Angela Ferrell-Zabala
P.S. Follow along on our Students Demand Action socials to hear more from the young Black activists who attended the Young Changemakers Summit!  |
