Arielle Geismar

As news of the 17 students murdered in Parkland, FL spread, Arielle felt numb. “It could have been me. It could have been one of my friends. It could have happened here,” she thought. Realizing the deep complexity of the gun violence epidemic, Arielle resolved to be part of the solution. She created NYC Says Enough (NYCSE), an organization devoted to addressing the institutional nature of gun violence and an outlet for direct teen and youth action. NYCSE focuses on reaching out and connecting students, some in disproportionately impacted communities, with their representatives to advocate for stricter gun control laws.

At their first rally, NYCSE attracted upwards of 5,000 students. Since then, Arielle and NYCSE have engaged thousands of people with their message through community involvement. They’ve sponsored numerous letter-writing campaigns and created an independently researched, publicly accessible database tracking New York politicians and their voting records on gun reform.

Sometimes it's not about telling others where the path is and how to follow it but fighting to get there together. A leader doesn't always need to be at the forefront, sometimes they're better in the back.

A group of teenagers at a gun violence rally in New York City holding signs.

NYC Says Enough

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NYC Says Enough (NYCSE) is an outlet for teen action, to address the systemic causes of gun violence and hold elected officials accountable.
The clipart logo features the bust of the Statue of Liberty in the center with the words NYC Says Enough in a circle around it.

Arielle holding up a megaphone at a rally.

2019 Award Recipient

ArielleGeismar

Sometimes it's not about telling others where the path is and how to follow it but fighting to get there together. A leader doesn't always need to be at the forefront, sometimes they're better in the back.

Arielle Geismar

NYC Says Enough