MLK's granddaughter, Emma's silence and other powerful moments from March for Our Lives

ByDanny Clemens WABC logo
Saturday, March 24, 2018
The powerful moments from March for Our Lives
From MLK's granddaughter to Emma Gonzalez's moment of silence, these were the powerful moments from March for our Lives.

WASHINGTON -- On the stage at March for Our Lives in Washington, student survivors from Parkland and other activists whose lives had been touched by gun violence made emotional pleas for change. Here's a look back at some of the most powerful moments from the rally:

Emma Gonzalez's emotional tribute to the six-minute shooting at Stoneman Douglas

Stoneman Douglas student Emma Gonzalez cried as she held an emotional moment of silence, remaining on stage for six minutes and 20 seconds - the length of the shooting at her high school on Feb. 14.

"Fight for your lives before it's someone else's job," an emotional Gonzalez said before walking offstage.

MLK's granddaughter has a dream for a gun-free world

Nearly 50 years to the day after her grandfather Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, Yolanda Renee King took the stage in Washington to share her dream for change.

"I have a dream that enough is enough and that this should be a gun-free world. Period," King said to applause as she held hands with Parkland survivor Jaclyn Corin.

Activists, survivors discuss gun violence in minority communities

One of the critiques of the media coverage of the shooting in Parkland has been the lack of minority voices amplified in the weeks following the tragedy, but March for Our Lives organizers made a point to highlight communities of color at the event in Washington.

A young gun control activist from South L.A. stood out as she spoke at the March for Our Lives rally in Washington D.C.

During the rally, Edna Chavez gave an emotional account of her personal experiences with gun violence in southern Los Angeles, Trevon Bosley recounted the struggle against gun violence in Chicago and 11-year-old Naomi Wadler shared the stories of non-white female shooting victims whose killings didn't make national news.

Parkland survivor Alayah Eastmond directly addressed the intersection of race and gun violence and pledged to continue fighting for change: "Yes, I am a Parkland survivor and an MSD student, but before this, I was a regular black girl. After this, I am still black and I'm still regular. I will fight for all of us."

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Demonstrators are seen in downtown San Francisco to take part in the 'March for our Lives' event on Saturday, March 24, 2018.
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Parkland students pledge to continue fighting for change

If there's one thing the Parkland students behind Saturday's event made clear, it's that their fight doesn't end at the conclusion of the rally. The students pledged to continue fighting for change to honor their late classmates with the hope that no student will ever have to endure another school shooting like the one at Stoneman Douglas High School.

"We cannot move on. If we move on, the NRA and those against us will win," Delaney Tarr said. "We will continue to fight for those things that are right. We will continue to fight for common sense. We will continue to fight for our lives."