On June 3, the youth of Philadelphia and beyond gathered for the PHL Youth Unity Walk for a Safer Philadelphia to protest gun violence, with numerous students taking the stand to speak out for the cause, writes Eliot Olaya for AL DÍA.

The students marched from the Liacouras Center in Temple University to City Hall all the way down Broad Street to support anti-violence initiatives in their schools and in their city. Prior to the walk, a survey was taken by a speaker with results that showed 64 percent of students were concerned about the safety of their friends and family, among other statistics.

The first leader to speak was Kamryn Davis, a student at West Chester University and the Social Media Director for PA Youth Vote, which is an organization that seeks to elevate voices, improving civics education, and to empower youth.

Davis studies Political Science, and is working on a double minor in Law, Politics, Society and Spanish. She is also the President of the Black Student Union and an Ambassador on WCU’s campus.

“To see this sort of unity is not only beautiful, but powerful. Everyone that is standing here today came for [their] own individual reasons. But amongst all of our shared differences is a desire to see better for the city of Philadelphia, and harmony among every young person that resides within it,” said Davis in her speech.

Read more about the Unity Walk in AL DÍA.