Issue link: https://trevordayschool.uberflip.com/i/1100896
Felix T. '20, founder of Shattering the Silence, spent the last year working alongside his peers at Trevor and around the country to educate voters and communities about gun violence. In the spring of 2018, he reached out to different youth groups with the goal of bringing together gun owners and gun-violence survivors, all of whom were "demanding a better future." Working with the National Association of Students Against Gun Violence, Felix and his Trevor peers scheduled marches and rallies in seven major cities. ey then expanded into a national team of thirteen different local chapters, hundreds of volunteers, and dozens of partners. On September 30th, the day before the first anniversary of the Las Vegas shooting, they held marches in ten cities. Felix explains, "We held voter registration, education drives, die-ins, town-halls, and rallies to make sure that when Americans went to the polls on Election Day, that they would remember who their votes would impact." On November 6th, two days before the midterm election, they joined the Future Coalition to Walkout to Vote, where hundreds of thousands of students, including an entire university, walked out of their classrooms to vote. anks, in part to their tireless efforts, the youth vote was a record high—helping to defeat more than 40 NRA-backed politicians. Shattering the Silence is just getting started. eir next project is a mentorship program to educate youth on how to be more civically engaged and to create their own change. Shattering e Silence Inc. is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization working to educate communities on gun violence and create a positive, long-lasting impact. e logo and graphics were designed by Pratt Institute students. All material by Shattering e Silence Inc. is made for the youth by the youth. Clockwise from top: Felix speaking at the Naumburg Bandshell at Central Park; Trevor students offer their support at this vigil; A large turnout for Shattering the Silence at the Mall in Washington, D.C.; Felix prepares to speak at a rally. Shattering the Silence 0 7 T R E V O R D AY S C H O O L n W I N T E R 2 0 1 8 – 2 0 1 9