By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
Despite the cold morning, volunteers of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots networks, could be seen dancing and enjoying one another’s company as their annual advocacy day kicked off at Lawyer’s Mall in Annapolis, Md.
“When students know the sound of gunshots before they know how to read and sound out their ABCs, we have a problem,” said Yasmine Bryant, a volunteer with Students Demand Action and Miss Morgan State University, on Jan 30. “Now is the time for us to decide that we will stand on the right side of history for our future and our children’s future. That problem stops right here with us.”
Bryant is also a survivor of the Oct. 3, 2023 Morgan State University Mass shooting.
“I don’t remember the first time that I heard gunshots. What I do remember is the first time that I ran, the first time that I jumped behind a bush that became our shield from the shots ringing above our heads,” said Bryant, sharing her experience from that harrowing day. “Glass was falling behind us as the windows broke around us. Students pounded on the locked doors, and everyone frantically ran, tripped [and] fell. Everyone did what they could to not die.”
This year’s event featured support from Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller (D), several state legislators and local organizations working to end gun violence in their communities.
Sen. Will Smith (D-Md.-20), chairman of the Judicial Proceedings Committee, brought attention to the need for action around illegal guns in Maryland this session.
“Nearly 500,000 guns are trafficked into Maryland every five years,” said Smith during the rally. “Two-thirds of gun crimes in Baltimore City were the result of illegally trafficked firearms.”
(AFRO Photo/Tashi McQueen)
Smith highlighted that “gun violence in Maryland is the leading cause of death for children and youth, and African Americans are 16 times more likely to die from gun violence than anyone else here in Maryland.”
“I want you all to join us in fighting gun trafficking this year because those statistics that I read out are real,” said Smith.
Moms Demand Action highlighted one of the top legislative issues they plan to push during the 2025 session, a bill that would restrict the sale of pistols that can “easily” be converted into machine guns.
Mark Pennak, president of Maryland Shall Issue (MSI), a non-partisan organization committed to preserving and enhancing gun owners’ rights, responded to their push to ban Glock switches in Maryland.
“As to guns that are ‘easily converted’ into machine guns by the use of accessories, we would point out that any such accessories, to the extent they exist, are already doubly illegal under federal and state law as is any such conversion,” said Pennak. “Indeed, the mere possession of such accessories is a major federal felony. Banning perfectly legal firearms merely because they can be illegally converted is senseless and would be struck down as unconstitutional under the Second Amendment.”
Senate Minority Whip Justin Ready (R-Md.-5) questioned “what ‘easily convertible’ means” and argued that “handgun manufacturers are not going to redo how they manufacture firearms for one or two states so they’ll just stop selling in Maryland.”
Ready asserted that this initiative would not stop those involved in illegal gun activity from seeking firearms outside of the state.
“The reality is – legally purchased firearms are not the source that criminals use. Generally, it’s trafficked firearms or straw purchases,” said Ready. “This is already illegal – but we need all our courts to punish criminals in this area to the fullest extent of the law and close loopholes in the code that treat stealing and possessing illegal firearms like a petty crime instead of a felony with real jail time.”
Other bills mentioned include the Family and Law Enforcement Protection Act, which aims to require alleged abusers to surrender their firearms when protective orders are filed and the Comprehensive Community Safety Funding Act, which if passed would help fund victim support and gun violence prevention programs.
Kadijah Kemp, the P.G. County lead for Moms Demand Action, shared why she got involved with Moms Demand Action and how it continues to support her, and other moms in similar situations, today.
“On June 15, 2021, I lost my son, Marcelis Gude,” said Kemp, whose son was 22 when he was fatally shot in a drive-by in South Los Angeles. “When I first lost my son, I didn’t know where to turn or where to go, and another mom that lost their child recommended going to the survivor network grief group, which lasts around eight weeks. That helped me, because it allowed me to meet other survivors, and it made me feel not alone during the whole grief process.”
Miller brought attention to the state’s recent progress through statewide and local public safety initiatives and gun safety legislation.
“Because of you, since 2021, homicides have dropped by 32 percent statewide, and by 41 percent in Baltimore City, ” said Miller. “Unnecessary incarceration is down with a 40 percent drop in federal pre-trial detention rates since 2018. These are not just numbers, these are families, kept whole, lives protected, futures secured, and it happened because you all demanded it.”
Jahzarra Thomas, a youth director at Let’s Thrive Baltimore, acknowledged this drop in numbers but stressed that she’s not seeing the difference in Baltimore’s communities.
“Gun rates are going down, but people are still being killed,” said Thomas, an 18-year-old Baltimore Polytechnic Institute student. “On a day-to-day basis, I’m still seeing violence.”
Thomas echoed the need for “new laws that will make sure young people are not able to easily access guns. People my age have guns.”
Navian Scarlett, a survivor of gun violence and volunteer leader of Students Demand Action, laid out the complexity behind the anxiety of U.S. students as they go to school each day.
“They feel like there’s no reason to go to school, pay attention, because any day that they go to school, there could be a school shooting,” said Navian Scarlett. “Then there’s students who are gun violence survivors from the violence they already experience in their community.”
Scarlett emphasized that this is why youth must know they are not powerless.
“Though they can’t vote, they still have a right to tell legislators that their life matters,” said Scarlett. “If your life is at risk, then you have a right to speak up.”
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