"Be a Nuisance When It Counts": The Marjory Stoneman Douglas Quote Students Need to Hear

Exactly one month after the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, thousands of students and administrators across the country participated in the Enough! National School Walkout. On the day of the demonstration, one poignant quote began circulating as it inspired protesters to make their voices heard. Coincidentally, it came from Marjory Stoneman Douglas herself:

"Be a nuisance when it counts. Do your part to inform and stimulate the public to join your action. Be depressed, discouraged, and disappointed at failure and the disheartening effects of ignorance, greed, corruption and bad politics — but never give up."

A Sun Sentinel reporter noticed a banner with the quote hanging on a fence at the Parkland high school. Her tweet quickly resonated and was later shared by Broward County Superintendent Robert W. Runcie.

For those unfamiliar with her work, Douglas was a writer and conservationist who was particularly passionate about protecting the Everglades National Park in South Florida. She wrote several books about the region up until her death in 1998 at 108 years old. A few years before her death, Bill Clinton awarded her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.