Aalayah Eastmond
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Through Social justice, Black people and Post-traumatic stress disorder
Early life and education
Eastmond was born in Brooklyn on March 22, 2001, to Stacey-Ann Llewellyn. When Eastmond was 2 years old, her 18-year-old uncle, Patrick Edwards, was shot and killed leaving his mother's home in Brooklyn. At the age of 4, Eastmond moved to West Virginia with her mother. She played the violin as a child. They moved to Broward County, Florida, when she was 8 years old. Eastmond attended Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. On February 14, 2018, during her junior year, Eastmond survived the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting by hiding underneath the body of Nicholas Dworet, a deceased classmate. In the summer following her high school graduation, she lived with her aunt in Brownsville, Brooklyn while interning for Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Eastmond studies criminal justice at Trinity Washington University.
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Activism
Eastmond became prominent during the 2018 United States gun violence protests as a student survivor of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, helping lead several high-profile protests, marches, and boycotts. She is an activist and advocate for gun violence prevention, social justice, and racial equality. Eastmond and others from her high school faced criticism for speaking out after the shooting. She attended March for Our Lives events. In July 2018, Eastmond spoke at a gun violence awareness march organized by Save Our Streets Brooklyn. Eastmond testified during the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination.
Eastmond is an executive council member of Team Enough, a youth-led gun violence prevention organization which is part of the Brady Campaign. In this role, she provides insights on the impact of gun violence in black and brown communities. Eastmond testified to the United States House and Senate Committee on the Judiciary in support of the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019.
Eastmond is a supporter of Black Lives Matter and protests against police brutality. After the murder of George Floyd, she co-founded Concerned Citizens of DC. The group organizes protests supporting social justice issues in Washington, D.C. At the 2020 March on Washington for racial equity, Eastmond spoke about the connections between racial justice and gun violence.
Personal life
Eastmond claimed to experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder after seeing U.S. National Guard troops with M-4 rifles as part of the security preparations for the inauguration of Joe Biden.