Keep going Naomi. We‘re listening!
11/24/2020
I originally wrote about Naomi Wadler and her parents’ support in 2017. Now 15 years old, Naomi’s activism (and her yellow scarf) have made it all the way to the Ellen Degeneres Show and the Smithsonian Institute.
The most heartwarming part of Naomi’s story is that she kept going. Speaking out against gun violence after the Parkland School tragedy was not the end for Naomi. She was only 11-years-old when she gave her impassioned speech in front of the WA DC March for our Lives participants about the disproportionate gun violence against black females. Since then, she has continued speaking and making a difference with her voice.
Naomi and her younger sister, Sarah, are both from Ethiopia and were both adopted by Julie Wadler (single at the time). Julie has her own successful event planning and fundraising business (Epiphany Productions) but has taken the time to help Naomi take her crusade to the next level. She became Naomi’s manager, gatekeeper, and publicist for her appearance on The Ellen Degeneres Show, her cover shoots for Vanity Fair, New York Magazine, Elle, Glamour, and Teen Vogue, her keynote addresses, her Smithsonian Institute exhibit, etc. And oh yeah, school.
Naomi’s perseverance is breathtaking. Hmmm. Wonder where she gets it?
