HOUSTON — On Wednesday, the Day of National Concern, students across the country including hundreds from Houston took a pledge against gun violence.
“I Pledge” is a voluntary promise students make to themselves and to their community to end gun violence.
"It only takes that one student to make the commitment to say I'll put the gun down, I'll think twice before I pick the gun up, or I'll stay away from the guns,” said Toni Cormier, Texas State Lead of Voices of Black Mothers United.
Cormier is also the founder of local nonprofit “A Papa's Hand” which she named in honor of her son, who she said was killed by gun violence last year.
"No mother should experience what I experienced,” Cormier said.
Cormier said her pain propelled her to advocate for gun safety. Her mission is to work with as many schools and students as possible to raise awareness about gun violence, starting with Worthing High School in Sunnyside.
"I met with HPD. I met with Harris County Sheriff's Office, and my research found that this particular ZIP code, the Sunnyside area in Houston, has the highest rate of gun violence,” Cormier said.
Toni said Worthing is the first Houston area school to participate in the annual national pledge. She hopes to expand to more schools in the future.
Many of the students shared they’d been personally affected by gun violence.
"I lost a lot of family members and friends due to gun violence,” Kalis Laross, 17, said.
Maria Mendez, who is a junior, also signed the pledge.
"As a Mexican-American, I see everything that goes around in this community, in Sunnyside, and I want to be part of the help and future to help make our community safer than they are right now,” she said.
A pledge, students said, they would honor to reverse the violence and grow up in safety.
"If it means just signing a pledge to end gun violence, I will do anything to help,” Mendez said.