Two founders of March for Our Lives, a movement against gun violence, visited Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh on October 25 as part of the book tour for Glimmer of Hope, a compilation of writings by 25 founders of March for Our Lives.
March for Our Lives was started by survivors of the February school shooting in Parkland, Florida, one of the worst mass shootings in American history.
Glimmer of Hope, consisting of essays, social media posts, photos and excerpts from speeches, was published October 16. All author proceeds from Glimmer of Hope, and a percentage of the publisher Penguin Random House’s profits, go towards the March for Our Lives Foundation.
Quail Ridge Books hosted a moderated talk with Sarah Chadwick and Delaney Tarr, two founders of March for Our Lives. A third founder, Jammal Lemy, was supposed to attend, but could not due to illness. The panel was hosted by North Carolina State University psychology professor Rupert Nacoste.
The founders discussed youth, creating a movement, going against expectations and the importance of voting.
“The book really shows that we’re human beings, and people forget that sometimes. They forget that we’re not talking heads; we’re not politicians,” Tarr said. “They treat us that way, but we’re teenagers. I think this book is a good reminder of what teenagers did and what teenagers can do.”
Chadwick and Tarr talked about sharing the platform from March for Our Lives with other gun-control activists and organizations around the country and even invited activists they met while on tour stops to continue the tour with them.
Regarding the midterm election, Tarr emphasized the importance of voting but mentioned understanding voter apathy.
“We know what voter apathy is like, because we know what it’s like to not be spoken to in our government,” Tarr said, “so when we take young people seriously, and we tell them their opinion matters, it is so revolutionary to them, but so necessary.”
In less than a year, the March for Our Lives founders have held a march in Washington, written a book and toured the nation to help youth register to vote. Chadwick and Tarr joked that much of what they do is driven by proving others wrong, including putting together a march in Washington just months after the shooting.
#NeverAgain: A New Generation Draws the Line, a book written by Parkland survivors David and Lauren Hogg, was published in June.
