The Gandhi Center at JMU will honor David Hogg and March for Our Lives (MFOL) with the Mahatma Gandhi Center National Nonviolence Award on Saturday, September 24 from 6:00pm-7:00pm in Festival Grand Ballroom. Tickets are free and open to the public, but registration is required.
On February 14, 2018, David’s life changed forever. As a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, he lost friends, classmates, and teachers. Committed to becoming an agent for change, he resolved that no other young person should have to experience the tragic impact of gun violence.
He joined with friends from high school to co-found March for Our Lives, now one of the world’s largest youth-led movements. Five weeks after the shooting, March for Our Lives mobilized one of the biggest demonstrations in the nation’s history.
Over a million citizens turned out for marches against gun violence in 2018, making MFOL one of the largest youth-led movements since the Vietnam War. After the Uvalde tragedy, MFOL hit the streets again with chapters organizing protests across the nation.
A prolific voice on social media with more than a million followers, David uses his platform to promote civic engagement, activism, and voting. As a speaker, he informs, challenges, and energizes, empowering his generation to resist apathy and become catalysts for positive social change.
The inaugural National Nonviolence award was bestowed upon Honorable John Lewis in 2020 for his legacy of promoting nonviolent strategies to enact social change. Mr. Lewis passed away before formally accepting the award in July 2020.
The Gandhi Center chose MFOL to receive the second National Nonviolence award due to their commitment to education, civic engagement, and nonviolent direct action. From the website, “Whether organizing a walkout at a high school, lobbying for better safety measures on campus, writing statewide legislation, or showing up at school board and city council meetings, our chapters make change.”
Previous award winners of the Mahatma Gandhi Center Global Nonviolence Award include Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Former U.S. President and Nobel Peace laureate Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter.
Parking:
Guests may park in Ballard Deck or Lots C12, D3, D6, and R4. See the parking locations here:
