Activist David Hogg Speaks at Sixth Annual Gun Violence Prevention Summit

The sixth annual Community Advocacy and Violence Prevention Summit was held in Damen Cinema April 9, featuring a keynote speech from gun control activist and Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee David Hogg.

The summit focused on curbing gun violence and featured additional presentations by local violence reduction advocates from Chicago CRED, the Firehouse Community Art Center of Chicago and Loyola students.

The topics included a discussion on holistic approaches to violence, the reading of an original poem by Chicago artist Rasharra Smith and presentations on the unique ways gun violence impacts the LGBTQ+ community, Black women and women under threat of domestic violence. 

The main address, delivered by Hogg, discussed the obstacles he faced on his journey from a high school activist to vice chair of the Democratic Party. Hogg’s activism started when he was a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. in 2018, shortly after a former student killed 17 people with a semi-automatic rifle in the nation’s deadliest school shooting since the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in 2012, The Associated Press reported. 

“Afterwards, we were furious and devastated,” Hogg said. “I would say we were just as devastated as we were furious because of the fact that we’ve seen this happen throughout our lives over and over and over again.”

Shortly after the shooting, Hogg co-founded March For Our Lives — an organization dedicated to ending gun violence which had an estimated 1.2 to two million person turnout at their first wave of protests — and became a prominent gun control activist.

Hogg spoke on the challenges he faced with balancing the effects of his PTSD and his everyday life with his expansive activist work fighting for stricter gun control laws in Florida. 

“We would hear from people, ‘Oh it’s terrible what happened to you kids, but you don’t understand — this is Florida, gun laws get weaker here,’” Hogg said. 

Hogg and his allies were ultimately successful. Florida passed red flag laws in 2019, which removed guns from those at risk of committing violent crimes. These laws have since led to an 11% reduction in gun violence, according to The Columbia University Irving Medical Center. 

Hogg also emphasized the importance of youth in politics, speaking as a 24 years old and the first Gen-Z vice chair of the Democratic Party. In 2020, he founded a grassroots political organization called Leaders We Deserve, dedicated to electing young progressives and combating the far-right, according to their website. Since then, his work has focused on promoting the organization and their chosen candidates. 

“That’s the work I continue to do to this day,” Hogg said. “Bringing those young people that marched with us after the shooting into office, because I’m tired of seeing the same old faces who don’t do the right thing.”

Since its inception, Leaders We Deserve has financially supported three candidates for federal office, two of which have since been elected to congress. One of these candidates was U.S. Representative Maxwell Frost, another former organizer for March For Our Lives and the first Gen-Z congressman.

Hogg ended his speech with his recommendation for any students or attendees inspired by his story.

“Help your local violence intervention programs,” Hogg said. “Just ask them what you can do to support them.”

After his address, representatives from violence reduction organizations Chicago CRED, which focuses on reducing gun violence through holistic support for at-risk youth in Chicago, and the Firehouse Community Art Center which focuses on intervention and offering art classes alongside community assistance programs.

In addition to the speakers, local organizations ranging from city organizations like the Chicago Police Department to local domestic violence intervention organizations such as Sarah’s Inn set up booths in the Damen Student Center. 

These organizations approach violence reduction uniquely, offering services such as counseling, legal assistance and professional or vocational training, according to their website.

Attendees — both from the community and Loyola — responded positively to Hogg and the efforts of local advocates, emphasizing their young age. 

“I thought it was inspiring to see a student be able to make so much change and share his obstacles,” Jaime Vasuez, a Chicago resident, said. “That’s why I brought my daughters.”