Aalayah Eastmond facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aalayah Eastmond
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Eastmond in 2018
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| Born | March 22, 2001 Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
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| Education | Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Trinity Washington University |
| Occupation | Activist |
Aalayah Eastmond (born March 22, 2001) is an American activist. She works to prevent gun violence, promote social justice, and support racial equality. Aalayah became an activist after she survived the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. She started speaking out during the 2018 United States gun violence protests.
Aalayah has spoken many times to the U.S. Congress. She is a leader in Team Enough, a group led by young people. This group works to prevent gun violence and is part of the Brady Campaign. Aalayah also helped start Concerned Citizens of DC. This group organizes protests for social justice in Washington, D.C.. She supports Black Lives Matter and speaks out against police brutality.
Early Life and Education
Aalayah Eastmond was born in Brooklyn, New York, on March 22, 2001. Her mother is Stacey-Ann Llewellyn. When Aalayah was two years old, her uncle, Patrick Edwards, was shot and killed in Brooklyn.
At age four, Aalayah moved to West Virginia with her mother. She learned to play the violin as a child. When she was eight, they moved to Broward County, Florida. Aalayah went to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
On February 14, 2018, during her junior year, Aalayah survived a school shooting. She hid under a deceased classmate, Nicholas Dworet. After graduating from high school, she interned for Governor Andrew Cuomo. This was during the summer, and she lived with her aunt in Brownsville, Brooklyn.
Aalayah is now studying criminal justice at Trinity Washington University.
Activism and Advocacy
Aalayah Eastmond became well-known during the 2018 United States gun violence protests. She was a student who survived the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. She helped lead many important protests, marches, and boycotts. She is a strong voice for preventing gun violence, promoting social justice, and achieving racial equality.
Aalayah and other students from her school faced criticism for speaking out. Despite this, she attended March for Our Lives events. In July 2018, she spoke at a gun violence awareness march. This event was organized by Save Our Streets Brooklyn. Aalayah also spoke at a hearing for a new judge for the highest court, during the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination.
Aalayah is a leader on the executive council of Team Enough. This group is led by young people and works to prevent gun violence. It is part of the Brady Campaign. In this role, she shares important ideas about how gun violence affects Black and Brown communities. Aalayah spoke to the U.S. House and Senate Committee on the Judiciary. She supported a law called the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019. This law is about checking people's backgrounds before they buy guns.
Aalayah Eastmond supports Black Lives Matter. She also protests against police brutality. After the death of George Floyd, she helped start Concerned Citizens of DC. This group organizes protests to support social justice in Washington, D.C.. At the 2020 March on Washington for racial fairness, Aalayah spoke. She talked about how racial justice and gun violence are connected.
Personal Life
Aalayah Eastmond shared that she experienced symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. This happened after she saw U.S. National Guard troops with M-4 rifles. They were part of the security preparations for the inauguration of Joe Biden. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a type of stress that can happen after a very scary event.
