On May 9, Riverwood’s Students Demand Action club, which promotes gun safety, hosted a Zoom call with U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath (D-Ga.). The club, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, was started by 11th-graders Tess Berman and Sydney Fox.
Led completely by students of Riverwood International Charter School in Sandy Springs, Students Demand Action functions to host events, educate the community, and communicate with legislators to promote gun safety.
Tess and Sydney were motivated to start the club to bring about change following the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.
Elected in 2018, McBath represents Georgia’s 6th Congressional District, which includes Riverwood. As a victim of gun violence, she works with Everytown and Students Demand Action to address gun control in America. In the Zoom call, the congresswoman shared the story of her son, Jordan Davis, who was shot and killed while unarmed in 2012, Sydney and Tess reported in a Spark Note article for JumpSpark, which offers programming for Jewish teens. They said McBath “empowered the students by encouraging them to believe that they have the power to enact change, just as she has. She stressed the importance of young voices in promoting progress.”