DENVER, CO, JUNE 5

On June 5, 2023, Here4TheKids called on Colorado Governor Jared Polis to sign an Executive Order to ban guns and implement a statewide buyback program. To achieve this goal, we organized a sit-in of white women from around the country.

Our movement is led by Tina Strawn and Saira Rao, Black and South-Asian mothers, and honors the six hundred Black civil rights leaders and peaceful demonstrators who began their journey from Selma to Montgomery in 1965 and their sacrifice and efforts, which led to The Voting Rights Act of 1965.

As we prioritize the safety of historically marginalized and vulnerable populations such as BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, non-citizens, and disabled folks whose bodies are often on the front lines fighting for human and civil rights, for our Denver event, we respectfully asked white women to put their bodies on the ground as marginalized communities have always done and continue to do.

While acknowledging everyone’s agency, our movement acknowledged that white women are the least likely to be brutalized by the police and hold multiple intersections of privilege and power. Our remote campaign was an accessible and safe opportunity to take direct action online, uplift the direct action happening on the ground in Denver, and center the voices of those who are most at risk for gun violence at the hands of white supremacy.