Hundreds of D.C. students take a pledge against gun violence
WASHINGTON — More than 700 students across the District have pledged to stand against gun violence — a symbolic gesture organizers hope will spark real change in their communities. They are taking a stand against gun violence as part of the National Day of Concern, observed on Wednesday, October 15.
The initiative, led by the nonprofit Momma’s Safe Haven, encourages youth to publicly commit to nonviolence by signing their names and making a personal promise to help curb gun-related incidents in their neighborhoods. The organization is partnering with Voices of Black Mothers United and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Victims’ Rights Branch.
In-person pledge were taken at Jefferson Middle School and Charles Hart Middle School, where students will commit to a promise of nonviolence. Organizers are also reaching out to at least 10 additional local schools to collect student signatures and broaden participation in the pledge campaign.
For 11-year-old Amir Campbell, the issue hits close to home.
“It’s not cool to have a gun,” Campbell said.
The Southeast D.C. student says gun violence has changed the way he lives his everyday life.
“It makes me sad, kind of scared,” he said. “Usually I used to go outside a lot, but now I barely go outside because of gun violence and stuff that happens in the neighborhood.”
Campbell has found safety and support through a local football team, where he and his teammates recently joined the pledge campaign.
“It kind of makes me feel happy,” he said. “Because they’re making a promise to their community that they won’t use a gun and hurt people.”
Beverly Smith, founder and executive director of Mama Safe Haven, says the act of signing a pledge may seem small, but the impact on young minds can be powerful.
“Writing your name on the pledge is a small thing,” Smith said. “But when they read that — they hear it, they feel it.”
Smith believes early intervention and consistent community support are key to addressing the root causes of violence.
“Letting them know now that what happens in the future can be controlled by the things we do today,” she said. “It’s devastating, it’s trauma. You know the whole thing — hurt people hurt people. But healed people heal people.”
For Campbell, and hundreds of others like him, this pledge marks a hopeful beginning — a message from the next generation that they are ready to stand for peace.
“I hope people stop,” he said.
The National Day of Concern is observed annually as part of a nationwide movement to raise awareness about youth violence and promote community-based solutions.