Before I left the woods for the city to attend the rally to end gun violence, I walked with Charlie and Suzi. There's one particular a spot on the trail in Rocky Narrows where the golden beech leaves fall into the crusty snow and glow. It's a small area of stunning beauty under the trees I step through and feel I can breathe so deeply, feel such peace. 

The air was chilled on Boston Common, the brown grass under our feet soaked by recently melted snow, and the spirit of the crowd was somber but hopeful, grief-stricken but empowered. Thousands of young people marched to the Common from Roxbury. We stood waiting, under pewter clouds, for them to arrive and speak.And when the students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas School in Parkland, Florida, spoke about the shooting massacre at their high school on Valentine's Day, their young voices strained with grief and fury:

What is being created – from this rally, and from reports around the country of all the other rallies today – is a fresh and energetic, focused and determined political movement by young people who, even if they cannot yet vote, will impact elections with their integrity and zeal. They are willing to organize, willing to use their angry and grief stricken voices to overpower the wealthy lobbyists who have controlled lawmakers for such a long time.

All photos and text © Kelly DuMar, 2018 unless otherwise attributed