Yahoo Lifestyle March For Our Lives: Read George Clooney's Incredible Letter to Parkland Students
As Saturday's March For Our Lives drew nearer, the staff of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School's newspaper, the Eagle Eye, was given the opportunity to turn their platform up—way up—by guest-editing The Guardian. As part of the process, the Eagle Eye's editors-in-chief reached out to politicians and celebrities, including George and Amal Clooney, for interviews.
Although George Clooney, who has given $500,000 to the march with Amal, declined to be interviewed, he wrote the Eagle Eye's co-editors-in-chief—Emma Dowd, Lauren Newman, and Rebecca Schneid—a letter to explain why. Clooney said that he believes that this isn't his march, though he'll be in Washington, D.C. marching, but instead that this is the time for the young people of Parkland to make their voices heard. "It’s so much more effective if it’s young people," he wrote.
Here's what he had to say:
Dear Emma, Lauren and Rebecca,
Thank you for your note and congratulations on the incredible work you and all of your fellow students are doing to make the country a safer place.
It’s terrific that you’re editing the Guardian. It’s a stellar newspaper and they must feel honored to be working with you.
Amal and I are 100% behind you and will be marching in DC on the 24th, but we both feel very strongly that this is your march. Your moment. Young people are taking it to the adults and that has been your most effective tool. The fact that no adults will speak on the stage in DC is a powerful message to the world that if we can’t do something about gun violence then you will. The issue is going to be this, anyone you ask would feel proud to be interviewed by you but it’s so much more effective if it’s young people.
You could talk to a dozen kids like the young kids from Chicago and LA that Emma met with. You could take over the Guardian and make it tell the stories of children by children. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to point to this moment and say it belongs to you. You certainly should do what you want but that would be my hope for you.
Amal and I stand behind you, in support of you, in gratitude to you.
You make me proud of my country again.
Thank you.
All the best,
George
The editors did get an exclusive interview with Bernie Sanders, and more coverage will be coming throughout the day from its journalists stationed in D.C. Check out the full takeover here.
Related Stories:
-‘We Have Had Enough’: 37 Students on Why This March—And This Moment—Matters
-Parkland Shooting Survivor Sofie Whitney: How We Want Adults to Be Supporting Us, Not Overshadowing Us
-Parkland Teens Land Cover of 'Time': 'The Adults Know that We’re Cleaning Up Their Mess'
