Written by: Calli Ferguson
Artwork by: Yanis Caillaud
When I came to NYU in 2017, real, tangible, scary, tumultuous, and long overdue change was in the air. Not just for me, but particularly in this country and - dare I say - the world. The 2016 election in the United States, and all the preexisting systemic oppression it revealed, left me brokenhearted. In just four years since this election, we have seen corrupt leaders, harmful policies, deaths at the hands of injustice, and a deadly pandemic. But there have been a few symbols of hope through it all; one of whom is Emma González (they/them/their).
González is known mostly for their activism against gun violence and as the young leader of the March for Our Lives protest. Today, as gun violence remains an issue in a sea of unveiled injustice, we look back to their work. A now 20 year old, queer, Parkland shooting survivor, and intersectional activist, Emma’s heart seems to be what leads them in fighting for social justice. Yet, in pointing to González as a symbol of hope, I do not mean to paint them as an unwavering light of positivity. In fact, I would say that González is quite angry. Even so, they show me everything I want to see in movements of the future, and they keep on fighting despite all the events that can make us feel hopeless.
March for Our Lives in March of 2018 was one of my first big city protests. I remember how incredible it seemed that New York City could swell so collectively in one direction by the force of demanding change. Emma’s speech in Washington that day will likely go down in history. They spoke of the Parkland shooting and recited the first and last names of the student victims who died at the ‘cold hands of gun violence’. Then, for a full 6 minutes and 20 seconds, Emma stood in silence. As this moment of silence extended for the same amount of time the shooting lasted, Emma’s eyes filled with tears and powerful anger as they looked out into the crowd. With these two seemingly simple moves, names and silence, González became the face of anti-gun violence. As a leader of this movement, González has also taught us a lesson that stretches beyond the Parkland shooting: how to rise up in the face of something terrible. The recipe is simple: say the victims’ names and know, in doing so, these movements that have formed in our local communities to address systemic issues including gun reform, Black Lives Matter, and environmental and public health crises have evolved into nationwide and global causes for protests and demonstrations. More people are adding their voices to these injustices each day, and Emma has shown us how to use these voices to enact meaningful change.
The work of Emma González is just as crucial to look towards today as it was two years ago at the first March for Our Lives. Their actions beautifully displayed how, in politics and activism, life matters, people matter, and emotion (be it sadness, anger, disgust, or hope) matters. It shows us a future in which our leaders will not look or act like the leaders of our past. Change will come from the young people; those who will not just take what they have been given simply because it is what they know. We will address issues from a place of empathy. Thus, perhaps policies will be personal because the politics and injustices are deeply personal. Emma Gonzalez has shown us how to turn pain into something productive. They beautifully exemplified how to push boundaries, fight harder, and march for our lives and a better future.
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