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Viewpoint

A Time to Feel More than Sorrow—

DKG Members and Others Unite to

“March” Against School Violence

By Elizabeth Tarner, Carol Linscott, and Beverley H. Johns

“Have the courage to speak up and move forward with truth, hope, and love.
Our voice must be heard.” Beverley Johns

Key women educators may be spread across the world, but that did not stop
one group—including many Delta Kappa Gamma members—from uniting in a
nonpartisan, virtual march protesting the continued shootings in schools, the most
recent occurring in Uvalde, Texas. Technology allowed participants to unite, to
listen to speakers, and to develop action plans.
This particular Virtual March for
Our Lives came about when some
individual DKG members were
together in a virtual teachers' lounge
where a large group of educators
participated right after the Uvalde
tragedy. Participants who “gathered”
there experienced fear, concern, and
a need to act … to do more than
just say they were sorry that Uvalde
happened. During that meeting, Dr.
Karen Gross noted that a number of
in-person marches were happening
Participants display
Signs from the DKG Virtual March for Our Lives June 11,
2022
signs from the DKG throughout the United States on Saturday, June 11, 2022 … and wouldn’t it be
Virtual March for wonderful if those of us who couldn’t be together in person could connect with
Our Lives, June 11, others throughout the world in a different way?
2022 As the group brainstormed, Liz Tarner said, “We are connecting through
Zoom for other events, so why not have a virtual March and invite anyone who
wishes to attend.” Gross reinforced the idea and said she would speak—and thus
the virtual march became the proud undertaking (with Karen) of the authors, who
felt compelled to take action for the children, parents, and educators who lost
their lives in Uvalde. We had our marching orders to plan for the first ever—and
what we believe was the only virtual—March for Our Lives. We spread the word
through our multiple networks, posted save-the-date announcements, secured a
diversity of speakers, planned signs, scheduled the ZOOM meeting on which the
“march” would occur, and put all the pieces together for a successful march. We
thus created an opportunity for people around the world to participate actively in
this March for Our Lives regardless of circumstance or location. Members who

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