Will You Hear Me Now?

26/06/2025

Will You Hear Me Now? was created to amplify the voices of young people speaking out against gun violence in schools. But what about kids who never had the chance to speak?

For our second video, in recognition of National Gun Violence Awareness Month, we turned to AI to imagine the lives and voices of students lost too soon.

"They Never Got The Chance" doesn’t depict fictional futures. It reflects a devastating reality: gun violence against young people steals potential before it’s ever realized.

This video is not replacing real voices. It mourns the ones we never got to hear.

20/06/2025

Trump administration 3 word message to suicidal LGBTQ+ teens: "We don't care."

Your Support Saves LGBTQ+Youth's Lives Every DayDonate June 18, 2025 – The Trevor Project received official notice yesterday that the […]

12/06/2025

Imagine an alternate reality where students can go to school, free to learn and grow without ever facing the specter of gun violence. In recognition of National Gun Violence Prevention Month, we at Will You Hear Me Now?, tasked AI Generators to depict just such a world. We call it AI High and for now it only exists in the AI universe, but with collaboration, imagination and persistence, we can create real world solutions to one of today’s most urgent social issues. Credits go to: Nelson, Michael Finan, Richard M Weiss, Jim Papoulis and aspiring screenwriter Will Sherman, one of our new student contributors from Seton Hall University. Learn how you can become involved at [email protected].

19/04/2025

In 2020, gun violence became the number one killer of American kids. Five years later, our young team members are speaking out about the tragic shootings in Texas and Florida. According to health policy body KFF, the "average yearly rate of student exposure to school shooting" has increased from 19 per 100,000 students in 1999-2004, to 51 from 2020 to 2024.

This week's shootings are a stark reminder to our kids that they are not truly safe in their schools and communities as long as lax gun laws in states create an environment of lawlessness and danger.

14/04/2025

Will Your Hear Me Now is part of a vital movement of concerned young people, adult professionals and community activists seeking constructive ways to reduce gun violence against young people. A new trend on LinkedIn has professionals turning themselves into action figure dolls using AI — a fun, eye-catching way to market themselves. We asked ChatGPT to do the same for us and imagine two students: a Future Scientist and a Future Entrepreneur.

It's our responsibility as a society to keep our kids safe from gun violence in schools and communities, so they can learn, thrive and become their future selves.

Learn more about our movement at: www.willyouhearmenow.com

16/01/2025

With the inauguration only four days away and politicians focused on anything OTHER than gun violence and school safety, it's more important than ever to hear the voices of American kids in their schools and communities. Listen to what they hope and expect of the new slate of leaders. Please watch and comment.

31/12/2024

Rick here. While Michael, Vijay and I, the co-founders of Will You Hear Me Now?, agreed from the very start that this is not a political organization, we all have our own political leanings. Speaking only for myself, I have to confess that I was crushed by the results from November's election. For weeks afterwards, I walked around muttering “I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it.” I think a lot of people in our space share my feelings.

I believe that our work, which has been challenging enough already, will become moreso because of the makeup of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of our government. Most, though not all, have all proven resistant if not hostile to gun law reform. There’s no reason to believe it will be any different next year. Even with mixed control of the three branches of national governance, it’s always felt like an uphill battle.

2020 was the year when gun deaths surpassed all other forms of child mortality in this country. We are the only “advanced” country where this is so and it was our visceral response to this grim statistic that essentially launched Will You Hear Me Now?.

Read more at
https://www.willyouhearmenow.com/beyond-thoughts-and-prayers

31/12/2024

Our blog review of our highly-engaged 2024 drops tomorrow. Along with our hopes and fears for the New Year. An advance look at our message courtesy of Ayaan Moledina, a student advocate working to create a better future for all students.

18/10/2024

At the one year anniversary of our Detroit Youth Choir video release, we've just dropped a new mix featuring/adding the young voices of Halsey Middle School in Queens, NY raised in song and protest. It's powerful. Take a look.

18/10/2024

Student Activist Ayaan. School shooter drills and nightmares about friends being shot. Going into lockdown multiple times in third grade. "My generation has grown up thinking 'this is just how it is.' But it's not how it's supposed to be." 😡

20/09/2024

In the wake of the recent tragic mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder Georgia, today, students at Halsey Junior High, JHS 157Q, in Queens, NY had the opportunity to raise their voices against school gun violence. A year ago, we posted our signature video “Will You Hear Me Now?,” featuring the Detroit Youth Choir. In the video, the choir members sing a haunting refrain, “How many lives will It take before you listen?

In that time, the numbers of dead, injured and impacted people just keeps growing. Since last year’s video, 31 more lives have been lost to school shootings. Countless more families, friends and survivors in communities all over our country have been irrevocably traumatized.

The voices of America’s future leaders call out to the politicians, officials and adults in their lives to do something. To make a difference. Halsey joins a growing community of schools and youth organizations that pick up the chorus and ask the question.
The question is, how many MORE lives will it take?

Watch our videos and learn more about our ongoing efforts to amplify the voices of American kids at www.willyouhearmenow.com as they seek safer schools and communities.

11/09/2024

With just minutes to go before perhaps the most consequential presidential debate in modern history we have a Roundtable featuring a group of young activists weighing in on this summer of discontent, two Supreme Court Second Amendment decisions, an assassination attempt and a presidential election campaign rocked by the entrance of the first Black Indian woman to become a major party's candidate. Thanks to our Moderator Kate Schweit for her invaluable guidance. Watch it here or on www.willyouhearmenow.com