A teen from Lithonia is getting her anti gun message out in a big way. 19 year old Mary-Pat Hector has been speaking out against gun violence for years and now her hard work is paying off. Hector is the founder of the “Think Twice” campaign that encourages people to think twice before picking up a gun and pulling the trigger. She says she started the campaign because she was tired of hearing about kids getting killed as a result of gun violence. She says when people think of gun violence, they may think of black boys in Chicago and think it couldn’t happen in their neighborhood.
“But to become uncomfortable with that, to be moved to action, you have to see yourself. I wanted to create billboards so that people could see themselves, to see it happening to them,” Hector said. She had a hard time getting funding for the campaign. People supported her cause, they just weren’t willing or able to put money towards it. But that changed when Hector heard about a $50,000 fellowship from an organization called “Peace First.” All she had to do was submit a video explaining her mission. She did it and she won!
That money funded 50 billboards with her anti gun violence message all around the Atlanta area. Although she was proud of that achievement, she didn’t stop there. Hector’s message also caught the eye of the Allstate Foundation. They are helping her fund billboards in Chicago as well. “I was taken aback. It’s still in the beginning stages, but we’re really excited. Really, really excited.”
Hector is a junior at Spelman College in Atlanta. She comes from a long line of activists and she says her mother taught her early on that “Good starts young.”