Following another mass school shooting, students organized The National School Walkout to demand gun reform in America. The walkout was on April 20th, the 19 year anniversary of the mass shooting at Columbine High School. For almost 20 years politicians have failed to pass meaningful gun reform that could save lives. Young people from all over the country wanted to participate but unfortunately some schools vowed to punish students if they walked out of class. We were asked to help encourage these students, so their voices could be heard.
Influential, politically conscious celebrities like Robert DeNiro wrote excuse letters for students who might be suspended by their schools for participating in The National School Walkout to support gun reform. The #ExcuseMe letters made a clear case for why participation in this event should be excused. Reasons included: an invaluable civics lesson, an exercise in good citizenship, a memorial for students who have died, and participating in our democracy. The letters were addressed to school administrators to serve as official excuse letters but their most important purpose was to show support and encourage students who wanted to make their voices heard.
We sought to empower students to be a part of The National School Walkout to demand meaningful gun reform after schools across the country threatened to discipline young people if they participated.
Leading up to The National School Walkout, actors Robert De Niro and Julianne Moore wrote #ExcuseMe letters. Letters were posted on The National School Walkout Twitter feed. The #ExcuseMe letters made a clear case for why participation in this event should be excused. Reasons included: an invaluable civics lesson, an exercise in good citizenship, a memorial for students who have died, and participating in our democracy. The letters were addressed to school administrators to serve as official excuse letters but their most important purpose was to show support and encourage students who wanted to make their voices heard.
The letters were retweeted and "Liked" thousands of times. They also made headlines of major news publications such as The Washington Post, CNN and USA Today. The BBC featured the letters in their coverage of the walkout too. Ultimately, thousands of students from more than 2700 schools across the United States participated in The National School Walkout. Together, they kept the movement for gun reform going and helped young people make their voices heard.
