A Seat at the Table: Centering the Voices of Gun Violence Survivors.

The following is the winning submission from the Fourth Annual Section on Pediatric Trainees Essay Competition. This year's competition was informed by the 2019-2020 Section on Pediatric Trainees Advocacy Campaign: Protect Kids - Trainees for Firearm Safety. We asked writers to share their experiences as pediatric trainee advocates for gun violence prevention and were impressed by the breadth of entries we received from around the country. The winning essay by Dr Kamaal Jones was focused on amplifying the voice of gun violence survivors. Dr Jones eloquently implores us to offer gun violence survivors "A Seat at the Table," so that our policies may be shaped by survivors' lived experiences and calls for change. This inspiring piece reminds us that listening to the community is a critical first step in our advocacy efforts and that doing so can empower us to make the greatest impact. Names and minor identifying details have been altered to protect the privacy of group members.