20 Years After Columbine, Chicago Students Work To End Gun Violence

By Nereida Moreno
good kids, mad city
High school senior D'Angelo McDade, front right, leads a march in Chicago's North Lawndale neighborhood during a walkout to protest gun violence on March 14, 2018. About 200 students joined the march as a sign of solidarity with students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. Martha Irvine / Associated Press
good kids, mad city
High school senior D'Angelo McDade, front right, leads a march in Chicago's North Lawndale neighborhood during a walkout to protest gun violence on March 14, 2018. About 200 students joined the march as a sign of solidarity with students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. Martha Irvine / Associated Press

20 Years After Columbine, Chicago Students Work To End Gun Violence

By Nereida Moreno
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It’s been 20 years since two gunmen opened fire at Columbine High School in Colorado, killing 13 people and wounding 21 others on April 20, 1999.

Since that tragedy, more than 226,000 children have been exposed to gun violence during classroom hours, according to a recent Washington Post analysis.

In Chicago, gun violence is a daily struggle for some teens.

Advocates say students need better access to mental health resources and investment in schools and neighborhoods, particularly on the South and West sides of the city.

Last year, a group of student organizers traveled to Parkland, Florida in the aftermath of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School an partnered with organizers in Baltimore and D.C. Together, they formed the student-led advocacy group GoodKids, MadCity to address the root causes of gun violence.

With the 20th anniversary of Columbine around the corner, Morning Shift explores how youth organizers in Chicago are working to curb gun violence in their schools and communities.

GUESTS: Antonio Maggitt, youth organizer with GoodKids, MadCity

Meyiya Coleman, youth leader at Voices of Youth in Chicago Education (VOYCE)

LEARN MORE: Voices of Youth in Chicago Education (VOYCE)