Environmentalist & Social Activist, Majory Stoneman Douglas Leaves Rich Blueprint For Parkland Activists

Environmentalist & Social Activist, Majory Stoneman Douglas Leaves Rich Blueprint For Parkland Activists

Meet Marjory Stoneman Douglas, who was invited to witness the signing of the Brady Bill, after receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1993. These inspiring students, rising out of the ashes and anguish of a devastating act of murder and violence in their Parkland, Fla school have a legacy to honor -- and they know it. We're not accustomed to schools named after women, but Marjory was an exemplary progressive who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom when she was 103, the same day the Brady Bill was signed.

Douglas was a woman way ahead of her time, blessed with a father who clearly believed in her. She graduated from Wellesley College in 1912 as an English major and then went to work as a reporter for her father's newspaper, now known as The Miami Herald, where she became an editor. 

Marjory Stoneman Douglas became the first Floridian woman to enlist in the Navy and then joined the Red Cross in 1918. Trained as a nurse, Mrs. Douglas soon set off to Europe to work as a nurse with war relief efforts. Read on. 

Yolanda Renee King: Have You Heard? We Are Going To Be A Great Generation!

Yolanda Renee King: Have You Heard? We Are Going To Be A Great Generation!

“My name is Yolanda Renee King, granddaughter of Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King,” said the 9-year-old girl addressing an enraptured crowd gathered in Washington, DC on March 24.  “My grandfather had a dream that his four little children would not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

“I have a dream that enough is enough! And that this should be a gun-free world, period!” Yolanda proclaimed, standing next to Parkland survivor Jaclyn Corin at the 'March for Our Lives' rally.

King wore an orange gun violence awareness ribbon pinned to her coat, inspiring marchers and an international TV audience with her vision.  She stood not far away from the site of her grandfather's famous 'I Have A Dream Speech', delivered 55 years ago at the March on Washington.

It's doubtful that America will achieve Yolanda King's dream of a gun-free world, given an accepted right enshrined in the US Constitution to own guns to hunt or protect oneself. Many of us imagine victory as getting assault weapons off American streets and instituting universal background checks, no exceptions.

For me, Yolanda Renee King left us with an even greater gift: HOPE. 

As Donald Trump and his wrecking crew try to take America back to the 1950s, where white men ruled, activism needs HOPE and that hope can only come from our young people, who will lead a new wave of demands for racial, gender-based and economic justice in America, free from the stereotypes deeply embedded in the American psyche.

An Open Letter to Student Marchers At 'March For Our Lives': 'You Are Revolutionaries

An Open Letter to Student Marchers At 'March For Our Lives': 'You Are Revolutionaries

To the students marching in Washington D.C, and across the country tomorrow: an open letter from Reshma Saujani, CEO and founder of Girls Who Code, a nonprofit organization that aims to boost the number of women in computer science fields. 

If there’s any generation that sets us free, it will be yours. If there’s any generation that achieves real lasting change for our country, it will be yours. You are change-makers. You are revolutionaries. You are patriots.

You are the most diverse generation in American history–and that diversity is reflected in your movements, in your insistence that they include the experiences of all people no matter their race, sexuality, gender, ability, or economic status. You are also the most digitally savvy generation in American history. To you, tech is not just about convenience or distraction–it’s a tool to complement community and create change (or the ultimate clapback!).

You have the ideals and you have the tactics necessary to transform our world. Combine these with your poise, endurance and anger–and you are a force to be reckoned with.

Oprah, George & Amal Clooney Are Joined By The Spielbergs & Katzenbergs In Pledging $500,000 To March For Our Lives

Oprah Winfrey stepped into the philanthropy box Tuesday, joining George and Amal Clooney,in also committing a $500,000 donation and general pledge of support for March for Our Lives in partnership with Everytown for Gun Safety. The event is being organized by students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Both Clooneys will also participate in the Washington, DC demonstration on March 24, being organized by the surviving students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

"Amal and I are so inspired by the courage and eloquence of these young men and women from Stoneman Douglas High School . . . Our family will be there on March 24 to stand side by side with this incredible generation of young people from all over the country, and in the name of our children Ella and Alexander, we're donating $500,000 to help pay for this groundbreaking event. Our children's lives depend on it."

The March for Our Lives is organized by Stoneman Douglas students Cameron Kasky, Emma Gonzalez, David Hogg, Alex Wind, and Jaclyn Corin, in partnership with Everytown for Gun Safety. “I'm just a high school student,” Kasky wrote in a recent op-ed, “and I do not pretend to have all of the answers. However, even in my position, I can see that there is desperate need for change—change that starts by folks showing up to the polls and voting all those individuals who are in the back pockets of gun lobbyists out of office.”

The articulate voices of the students have overwhelmed open-minded adults across America. On Twitter, Winfrey compared the Stoneman Douglas student organizers Cameron Kasky, Emma Gonzalez, David Hogg, Alex Wind, and Jaclyn Corin to the Freedom Riders of the 1960s who “also said we’ve had enough and our voices will be heard.”

Two more Hollywood couples joined the Clooneys and Oprah in matching their donations. Producer Jeffrey Katzenberg and his wife Marilyn were joined by Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg in also supporting the initiative.

“The young students in Florida and now across the country are already demonstrating their leadership with a confidence and maturity that belies their ages," said Spielberg via his representative, Marvin Levy. "Kate (Capshaw) and I applaud their efforts to take a stand for the benefit of this and future generations. They are an inspiration to us all, and we are joining in this movement with a donation of $500,000.”

In a statement sent by representative Rachel Peterson, Katzenberg said, “(My wife) Marilyn and I are proud to stand with the brave young leaders from Parkland, Fla., who have taken their pain and grief and turned it into action. We will join Amal and George Clooney on March 24 to stand alongside these remarkable young people. We are also donating $500,000 to March for Our Lives to support this historic event.”