2018: Bloomberg Philanthropies, award in recognition for work to reduce gun violence.2014: People Magazine's 15 Women Changing the World Right Now.She is a Buddhist who practices yoga and meditates at least once a day. In her book, Watts wrote that she was enrolled in a yoga teacher training course when she founded Moms Demand Action. She and her husband now live in the Bay Area. Since starting Moms Demand Action, Watts has lived in Indiana, Colorado and California. She has also appeared as a commentator on MSNBC, CNN, CBS and NPR and written opinion pieces for Elle, Refinery29,, Newsweek and Marie Claire, among others. Watts is also active on Twitter, where she has more than 500,000 followers. Watts also blogs on Medium about her work and the victories achieved by Moms Demand Action volunteers. The book’s foreword was written by actress Julianne Moore, who is also the founding chair of the Everytown Creative Council. Watts is the author of the 2019 book Fight Like a Mother: How a Grassroots Movement Took on the Gun Lobby and Why Women Will Change the World. United later stated that the two teenagers were pass riders under the airline's company travel perk program who were subject to a stricter dress code, whereas leggings or yoga pants are acceptable for regular passengers. Watts added that the girls' father was allowed to board without incident, despite wearing shorts. In 2017, Watts spoke out against United Airlines on Twitter after witnessing an agent deny boarding to two teenage girls wearing leggings in Denver International Airport. Watts announced that she will be stepping back from her leadership role at Moms Demand Action at the end of 2023. Watts has given speeches at places such as Valparaiso University and Mountain Calvary Lutheran Church. In March 2020, Watts campaigned with presidential candidate Joe Biden in Ohio. In 2013, Moms Demand Action and Mayors Against Illegal Guns joined forces to become Everytown for Gun Safety. Volunteers wear red t-shirts emblazoned with the Moms Demand Action logo to show their support and stand out at legislative hearings, protests and other events. In the 2022 election, 140 Moms Demand Action volunteers were elected to public office. For over eight years, Moms Demand Action volunteers have stopped the NRA’s priority legislation in statehouses more than 90 percent of the time, and helped pass hundreds of gun safety laws across the country, changed corporate policies, and educated Americans about secure gun storage. Moms Demand Action now has chapters in every state and over 6 million supporters nationwide. The Facebook page grew into a grassroots movement after volunteers contacted Watts about forming Moms Demand Action chapters in their own communities. The next day, Watts started a Facebook group to unite women against the gun lobby in the way Mothers Against Drunk Driving had united mothers against the alcohol lobby in the 1980s. On December 14, 2012, a gunman had opened fire in Sandy Hook School in Newtown, Connecticut, killing 26 children and educators. In 2008, she left her corporate career to focus on her family. Watts then built a career as a communications executive, including FleishmanHillard, Monsanto, GE Healthcare and WellPoint. After college, she worked in the Missouri House of Representatives and for former Governor Mel Carnahan. Watts was born in Rochester, New York, and graduated from the University of Missouri in 1994. Watts also serves on the board of Advance Peace and Urban Peace Institute. In 2016, Watts became a board member of Emerge America. Watts has campaigned for a number of gun control candidates across the country, including President Joe Biden. Shannon Watts is an American gun violence prevention activist and the founder of Moms Demand Action.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |