Voices for a Safer Tennessee, the nonpartisan coalition dedicated to creating healthier, safer communities by reducing preventable firearm tragedies, will host the second “Linking Arms for Change” human chain on Wednesday, March 27, from 5 to 5:30 p.m. to mark the first anniversary of The Covenant School shooting in Nashville.
After the overwhelming response to last year’s Linking Arms event, which saw 10,000 Tennesseans come together, this year’s route is one mile longer to accommodate more families and community members. The goal is to form a four-mile chain of 13,000 people stretching from Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt through Centennial Park and up Charlotte Avenue to the State Capitol. Individuals and groups can register at safertn.org/linkingarms.
Participants are asked to wear red and link arms to honor the memory of the six Covenant victims and the hundreds of Tennessee lives lost to preventable firearm tragedies over the last year. The event will demonstrate the hope felt by Tennesseans that the show of solidarity will help strengthen policies that will lead to safer communities across our state.
“We are helping our community heal through hope. This peaceful event is an opportunity to link arms, unite hearts and remember those who have lost their lives due to preventable firearm tragedies,” said Nicole Floyd Smith, a co-founder of Voices for a Safer Tennessee. “We will honor their legacies, and support the survivors, through our shared commitment to continue to work for change.”
As the community unites arm-in-arm, a program bringing together the city’s faith leaders and notable musical guests will take place at Musicians Corner in Centennial Park. Participants will include Ketch Secor, co-founder and lead singer for the band Old Crow Medicine Show, and Contemporary Christian Music artist Blessing Offor.
