Washington D.C.

D.C. is obviously the political battleground for gun control issues. The District is a hub for policymakers, lobbyists and officials with the power to make changes in our nation’s gun laws. It is also a glaring example of racial segregation and economic inequality.

There are community efforts to reduce violence, but none are as powerful as Washington politics. Young people in D.C. who face gun violence everyday want to get politicized, speak to their city representatives, and make a difference with this issue. However, the political system makes it so their voices seem irrelevant; they feel like their situations are hopeless. We hope to give residents an opportunity to share their ideas with a national audience. Their stories are meaningful, and they can help make a difference.

Videos

Mordiba Salim Hylton was a 27-year-old artist who had just signed a contract to teach art in a D.C. charter school when he was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen in the neighborhood he grew up in. Listen to Salim’s family speak about his life and his death, and how they are dealing with their loss.

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The Hylton Family donated Salim’s organs. His sister, Aneka, talks about the people who are living well because of Salim.

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Salim’s friend Tommy describes the shooting of Salim, and his friend Jett talks about how stigmatized communities need to change their mentality in order to eliminate gun violence.

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Salim’s girlfriend, Ryann, talks about losing the love of her life to senseless gun violence.

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Cybelle McDaniels grew up in a close-knit family in the Mount Vernon Square neighborhood of DC. Here she talks about the neighborhood she knew, which was where her youngest brother, Moriba Salim...

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Felix Oschukwu, Salim's friend and a fellow artist, talks about how art can change people's lives, and how he uses art to express his feelings about gun violence in DC.

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Salim’s family celebrates his life, and talks about how it feels to deal with his death.

Washington D.C. Updates

NRA Oversteps Its Bounds | Washington D.C.
When people start learning about gun violence in our country, they're often baffled that such a privileged, advanced nation would allow guns to infect our communities to the extent that they do, with barely any restriction. How has one institution gained so much power that they defeat a public...
Insurrectionism and the 2nd Amendment | Washington D.C.
The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence is a terrific resource for anyone who is new to the issue of gun violence in our country, or who would like to learn more about why the United States struggles with this issue more than any other high income nation. In their organizational description, they...
Supreme Court Fails to be Progressive, Again | Washington D.C.
The Supreme Court voted in favor of gun rights again, preventing state and local governments from making their own laws about gun possession. It's curious that the same people who vote in favor of this federal oversight of gun laws want the federal government out of their business when it comes to...
Killing Our Leaders | Washington D.C.
Moriba Salim Hylton was murdered on Saturday, August 29th at the age of 27 in his former neighborhood in Washington, D.C. This talented young artist was about to become an art teacher to teenagers who needed him, and because of a gunshot, hundreds of children lost a valuable leader, and a family...