Everything You Need to Know About March For Our Lives

Taylor Cromwell
Updated
What does real change look like? Just keep an eye on Washington D.C. when

What does real change look like? Just keep an eye on Washington D.C. when thousands of people will storm the streets on March 24 and young activists will deliver a powerful message to the world: Our. Lives. Matter.

Just over five weeks after the Parkland school shooting, students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School are joining forces with Everytown for Gun Safety and Giffords Courage, founded by former congresswoman Gabby Giffords and husband Mark Kelly, to bring an end to gun violence. More than 500,000 people are expected to march down D.C.'s Pennsylvania Ave. starting at 12 p.m., but the call to action will echo well beyond the capital. From Honolulu, Hawaii, to Helena, Montana, to Berlin, Tokyo and Sydney, more than 800 sister marches are planned around the world to show their solidarity with the #NeverAgain movement.

"School safety is not a political issue. There cannot be two sides to doing everything in our power to ensure the lives and futures of children who are at risk of dying when they should be learning, playing, and growing," the organizers behind March for Our Lives said in its mission statement.

March For Our Lives quickly gained support from political leaders and celebrities such as George Clooney and Oprah Winfrey, who each donated $500,000 to the cause. "These inspiring young people remind me of the Freedom Riders of the '60s who also said we've had ENOUGH and our voices will be heard," Winfrey said in a tweet.

In just a month, the March for Our Lives GoFundMe has raised more than $3 million—many of which are small grassroots donations. Looking to the future, the organizers also aim to raise awareness around the midterm elections in November and have coordinated voter registration at each of the marches.

In a handwritten letter to the Parkland students, former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama cheered on those who are raising their voices and rallying around the cause. "Throughout our history, young people like you have led the way in making America better."

And we're ready to follow them again.