Obamas send handwritten note to Parkland students: ‘We will be there for you’

Former President Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama sent a handwritten letter to students at the Florida high school where a mass shooting left 17 dead last month.

The Obamas thanked the survivors for speaking out against gun violence and helping to “awaken the conscience of our nation.”

The former president and first lady closed by telling the students, “We will be there for you.”

The letter, dated March 10, was obtained by Mic on Wednesday.

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“We wanted to let you know how inspired we have been by the resilience, resolve and solidarity that you have all shown in the wake of unspeakable tragedy,” the Obamas wrote.

“Not only have you supported and comforted each other, but you’ve helped awaken the conscience of the nation, and challenged decision-makers to make the safety of our children the country’s top priority.

“Throughout our history, young people like you have led the way in making America better. There may be setbacks; you may sometimes feel like progress is too slow in coming. But we have no doubt you are going to make an enormous difference in the days and years to come, and we will be there for you.”

EXCLUSIVE: Here’s the letter @BarackObama and @MichelleObama wrote to the #ParklandShooting survivors. In it, the former president and first lady tell the teens that they’ve “inspired” them, and commend them on “awakening the conscience of our nation.” https://t.co/FOQYVguNFw pic.twitter.com/xEPHE6iUL2

— Mic (@mic) March 21, 2018

The students of Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., have been the primary organizers of the anti-gun violence March for Our Lives that is scheduled to hit D.C. this Saturday. More than 500,000 people are expected to attend.

This was not the first time the former president and first lady have praised the students who survived the Feb. 14 massacre in their gun control efforts. 

President Obama tweeted at the students the day after the shooting, writing, “We are grieving with Parkland. But we are not powerless.” 

We are grieving with Parkland. But we are not powerless. Caring for our kids is our first job. And until we can honestly say that we’re doing enough to keep them safe from harm, including long overdue, common-sense gun safety laws that most Americans want, then we have to change.

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) February 15, 2018

Michelle Obama also vocalized support, writing that she was in “total awe” of the students and pledged that she and Barack were “behind [them] every step of the way.”