As you have probably already read all over the internet and social media, Wednesday was #NationalStudentWalkout Day, when students all across the country left their classrooms in protest of the ridiculous gun laws in this country that allow mass shootings to happen like the one that took place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., last month.
Word of the walkout had been spreading leading up to today, and it was amazing to see so many young people committed to making a difference and making their voices heard.
Justin Blackman, a 16-year-old high school student from Goldsboro, N.C., was the only student at his school to walk out of class Wednesday, with the full blessing of his homeroom teacher.
He made a video of himself standing outside his school, alone, on a blustery day. The wind is blowing around him as he relates his experience to the “six people watching this, hopefully.”
As it turns out, more than six people watched his video. As of this writing, the video has been viewed more than 3 million times.
Justin Blackman went viral on Twitter today because he wasn’t afraid to stand alone. He wasn’t complacent.
He didn’t let the fact that no one else walked out of class stop him from standing for what he believed in. He did what he felt was right.
Be like Justin.
Justin is a hero.