In light of the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed African-American man who died under the knee of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, outrage has turned into protests all throughout the country. At most of these Black Lives Matter protests, if not all of them, you can find young people ranging from the age of older high schoolers to college students. Some protests are even organized by young people. But this isn’t the first time in history that young people have been at the forefront demanding that their voices are heard.
Recently, there were also the March for Our Lives protests organized by high school students in Florida after their school, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, was a victim of another school shooting in 2018. Young people were at the front of these marches and protested at the capital demanding gun control.
The 1960s civil rights movement saw large numbers of young people protesting. The sit-ins in Greensboro, North Carolina, were started by four teenagers and became a popular form of protest during this movement. The Vietnam War protests were also led and attended by young people. The young helped the public protest the war during the late 1960s and drew some inspiration from the civil rights movement.
Now that you see exactly how powerful young people’s voices can be, here is what you can learn from them.
Your voice matters! You can change the world no matter what your age is. A lot of younger kids think that adults don’t take their voices into account and write off their capacities, but as history shows, strength comes in numbers, and you can achieve change from a young age. Don’t ever take your voice for granted, and know that if something is very wrong, you actually can do something about it to change the system in which you have grown up. If you don’t change it, who will?
Being passionate about politics is cool! Politics don’t always have to do with who you vote for during a presidential election; politics have to do with the systems currently in place and the government’s response to current events. If you envision a change for the better, then go for it and begin a march of your own. Being vocal about your beliefs is cool nowadays, so use that tool you have in your pocket – your phone – to initiate change. Social media plays a huge role in organizing, executing, and succeeding in protesting and making your voice heard. Many Black Lives Matter protests have begun through flyers spread throughout Instagram and Twitter, and many use Twitter and Instagram Live to show what is happening during the marches.
Utilize your youth for change! No one can walk for longer than younger adults and teens. Generation Z is at the front of these marches all over the United States, marching for hours on end, so use your young legs to make change. Use your health to benefit the country; no one is less at-risk than young people, so march for those who cannot in fear of contracting COVID-19. Use your knowledge of social media as evidence of change and power in numbers among the new generation. Use your ability to love and accept all as a form to draw everyone into protests and fight for change to happen within your lifetime. Your time is now.
