The Black Star Project demanded action following not only the shooting death of Hadiya Pendleton but the many victims before her.
They remembered and honored 108 children killed in Chicago in 2012 by reading their names out loud.
Many of them were victims of gun violence and many of them were African-American.
According to leaders of the Black Star Project, their deaths went largely unnoticed by political leaders.
"108 people killed," Black Star Executive Director Phillip Jackson said. "No outcry."
Jackson offered his condolences to the family of 15-year-old Pendleton whose murder has brought worldwide attention to the problems of gun violence and gangs in Chicago.
She is a symbol of the much greater problem, according to Jackson.
The Black Star Project sent copies of these petitions, with 8000 signatures, to Washington DC. The group asked for greater resources to fund education, mentoring programs and provide economic alternatives to crime for young people in the community.
They also developed a report card for various political leaders, who they said are failing badly.
Many of the victims, according to the group, are young people like Hadiya Pendleton who had their bright futures destroyed by violence.
Mother Natasha Dunn said she is concerned about the safety of her sons in the community.
