Naomi Wadler

Naomi Wadler (born October 16, 2006) is an American student and activist against gun violence. She has made speeches advocating for victims of gun violence in the United States, especially Black female victims, most notably at the pro-gun control protest March For Our Lives. She attends Alexandria City High School in Alexandria, Virginia.

Personal life Wadler was adopted by Julie Wadler from an Ethiopian orphanage in 2007. Wadler's mother also adopted another daughter, Sarah, in 2009.

Wadler's African American father is a recreational hunter.

Political activism On March 14, 2018, Wadler helped organize a walkout of 200 classmates at George Mason Elementary School. They stood in silence for 18 minutes: 17 minutes in memory of the 17 victims of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting and one additional minute in memory of Courtlin Arrington, a Black girl who had been a victim of gun violence at Huffman High School in Birmingham, Alabama.

On March 24, 2018, Wadler spoke to many people at March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C. She was the youngest speaker at the rally. She talked about why she pushed for the walkout and said that there's a disproportionate number of Black female victims of gun violence in the United States. Wadler was initially worried that discussing Black female victims would be considered "off topic", but felt comfortable after finding out about "other students from all over would speak from their experiences".

Wadler subsequently spoke at the Women in the World Annual Summit and the Teen Vogue summit. Wadler was also a guest at The Ellen DeGeneres Show. She was named one of Teen Vogue "21 Under 21" and shared a New York Magazine cover with actress Barbra Streisand.