A series of mass shootings sparks a march on DC to reduce gun violence w/ plans to draw a million people. It’s #MarchforOurLives…but it’s also the Million Mom March on May 14 2000. Today’s advocates should reflect on this history, what it accomplished, & how it fell short. 1/n 
Backstory: after a mass shooting at a LA Jewish Community Center, a publicist & novice advocate @RealDonnaDees called on moms to march on the capitol on Mother's Day, 2000.
The public response was overwhelming. The nation had been rocked by a school shooting at Columbine HS a year earlier, & survivors headlined the march.
Big name stars & musicians called on lawmakers to address gun violence (many of whom have continued to do so), among them @Rosie @Courtney @metheridge @SusanSarandon
The ascendant advocacy organization then was @BradyBuzz—6 years earlier they had led creation of the background check system & passage of assault weapon ban. Marian Wright Edelman of @childdefender also spoke.
Courageous politicians appeared in DC or at affiliated marches, including @RepMccarthyNYC & @SenatorDurbin. From the south lawn of the White House, @BillClinton & @HillaryClinton also spoke.
As a show of public support, the march exceeded expectations: the crowd was unprecedented. But organizers also wanted to build political power—& everyone agrees in this respect it fell short.
The march's organizers did their best to gather attendees' emails. They built a database of 120,000 but with no pre-existing organization to easily absorb them in coming years, many drifted away.
The marchers demanded major policy change: licensing & registration of firearms. Experienced advocates were more cautious, seeking to close the gun show loophole. In the end, we got neither.
Republicans disinterested in gun violence prevention won the White House. Worse yet, Democrats incorrectly blamed their loss on having embraced the issue. Then 9/11 shifted everyone's attention.
And gun violence has raged on in the US undiminished. Since the Million Mom March, more than 500,000 Americans have been killed with guns.
This history does not suggest any single way to approach the gun debate today. Every successful social movement involves many players taking different approaches—whether radical or conciliatory, realistic or idealistic. But a few observations:
No matter how powerful today's zeitgeist, it will be fleeting. Engage people today to build durable relationships that last, because ending gun violence is a marathon, not a sprint.
Today there is even broader consensus between scientists & advocates about state & federal policies that evidence shows will reduce gun violence. One good summary by @DanielWWebster1 & G. Wintemute: annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.11…
There is a strong state-based backbone to absorb people new to the movement, including @MomsDemand.
A school shooting may have brought @Emma4Change @davidhogg111 @cameron_kasky @sarahchad_ to this issue but I am heartened by signs they look beyond that, & are linking arms w/ youth who've been addressing gun violence in their communities for a long time.
With permission, I drew many of these images from a documentary on the march, produced by Philip Alpers & Andrew McGuire. Watch it here: . The end.
