50 Miles More is a youth-led American nonprofit organization working to end gun violence in the United States through local,

grassroots A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or economic movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from the local level to effect change at t ...

action to pass

gun control Gun control, or firearms regulation, is the set of laws or policies that regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, or use of firearms by civilians. Most countries have a restrictive firearm guiding policy, with on ...

About

After the March 2018 March For Our Lives, students from across Wisconsin marched 50 miles from Madison, to Janesville, the hometown of Speaker of the House

Paul Ryan Paul Davis Ryan (born January 29, 1970) is an American former politician who served as the List of Speakers of the United States House of Representatives, 54th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019. A member o ...

, to demand he support gun control legislation.North Carolina Inspired by the 54-mile Selma to Montgomery march for civil rights, the four day march to Speaker Paul Ryan's hometown gained international attention. 50 Miles More brings together young people across schools, regions, and communities to create a bond among young activists to ensure a strong foundation for action around future gun control legislation.

#50more in #50states

After the initial march in Wisconsin, student organizers launched the #50more in #50states campaign to challenge young people in every state to hold a 50-mile march to the hometown or office of an

NRA The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is a gun rights advocacy group based in the United States. Founded in 1871 to advance rifle marksmanship, the modern NRA has become a prominent gun rights lobbying organization while conti ...

-backed elected officials. Their goal was to ensure that the momentum continued after the Wisconsin march and that the country continued to hear the voices of young people.

50 Miles More Massachusetts

Massachusetts was the first state to take on the #50more in #50states challenge, marching 50 miles from Worcester, MA city hall to the headquarters of Smith & Wesson, one of the largest gun manufacturers in the country. 50 Miles More Massachusetts activists raised awareness of Smith & Wesson's contribution to the gun violence epidemic and called for a stop to the production of all weapons outlawed in Massachusetts.

The Milwaukee to Madison March

On June 26, 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, 50 Miles More organizers announced plans to embark on "The Milwaukee to Madison March", walking 65 miles across Wisconsin, starting at City Hall in Milwaukee on June 30, 2020, and ending in Madison on Independence Day, July 4, 2020. Organizers say they are calling on Wisconsin elected officials to do more to protect Black youth, including Black women and Black LGBTQ+ youth in Wisconsin

History

50 Miles More formed at the end of February 2018, led by activist

Katie Eder Katie Eder (born ) is an American activist and social entrepreneur who founded and has led social impact ventures 50 Miles More, Kids Tales, and The Future Coalition, the latter where she is currently the Executive Director. In December 2019, ...

. After the March 14 walkouts and March For Our Lives were announced, students at Shorewood High School in Shorewood, WI sought to ensure that after these events ended the country did not stop fighting to end gun violence. The march was announced on March 12, two days before the national walkout. The march was planned by a number of students from Shorewood High School including Katie Eder, Brendan Fardella, Shannon Carlson, Hiwot Schutz, Alemitu Caldart, and Lauren Davis. The students were supported by the Shorewood School District Superintendent, Dr. Bryan Davis, parents, and community members. 50 Miles More is now led by Executive Director Tatiana Washington. 50 Miles More is a founding member of The Future Coalition.

References

{{reflist 2018 establishments in Wisconsin Gun control advocacy groups in the United States Non-profit organizations based in Wisconsin Organizations established in 2018