Hi John,
Every year around this time, I find myself thinking back to the moment that changed the trajectory of my life, and of so many others. February 14th, 2018. I will carry that day and the loss of my schoolmates with me forever.
In the years since, I have held onto one truth: young people should never have to shoulder this burden alone. That belief is what led me to help build March For Our Lives, and it is the belief that keeps me focused on this work.
The moment that guides me every single day, though, and that I return to most often is the 2018 March. Standing on that stage, looking out at hundreds of thousands of young people and families who showed up not because they had to, but because they refused to accept living in fear, is something I struggle to describe even now. I remember the stillness right before our program began, and then the wave of emotion that swept over the crowd when the students from Parkland stepped forward.
It was the first time I felt the full weight of what we were building: a movement rooted in courage, grief, anger, and hope, all at once.
But there are other moments that have stayed with me, the quieter ones. Sitting with survivors who needed someone to listen. Reading messages from young organizers who were finding their voices for the first time. Watching students push their school boards and legislators to act.
Those are the moments that remind me that this movement is not defined only by marches or headlines. It is defined by the countless young people who refuse to give up on a safer country.
When I stepped into the role of Executive Director this year, I carried all of those memories with me. I also carried a renewed sense of responsibility: to rebuild, to steady our foundation, and to ensure that March For Our Lives remains a powerful home for the next generation of organizers, storytellers, advocates, and survivors who deserve a movement worthy of their courage.
This Giving Tuesday, as we reflect on everything this community has built, I’m thinking a lot about how far we’ve come and how much more we can do together. Your support helps us train young organizers, tell stories that shift culture, expose the systems that enable gun violence, and mobilize communities in every corner of the country. None of this happens without you.
I hope you’ll continue standing with us. Become a part of our next historical moment.
With gratitude,
Jackie Corin
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