Student activism is nothing new. In today’s digitally-driven world and with the invention of social media, it is seen everywhere. It may be seen in the news or heard in common conversation. But what is student activism? The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines student activism as work by students to cause political, environmental, economic or social change.
Activism is seen all around the world and has been around for centuries. A well-known example of student activism was the 1950s and 1960s Civil Rights Movement. In 1951, 450 students walked out of their public schools to protest overcrowding and segregation. A more recent example of student activism is the #NeverAgain movement to protest school shootings. According to the New York Times, almost 1 million students participated in nearly 3,000 walkouts all over the United States. Student activism’s long history proves that no matter someone’s age, anyone can change what is happening in the world. From the 1970s Vietnam War protests,where students were suspended for wearing black armbands, to Gay-Straight Alliance clubs in the 1980s, student activism happens all around the U.S., no matter the time or place.
The growing prevalence and accessibility of social media has increased student awareness, interest and participation in student activism. There have been stories and posts on students’ social media, calling for the new generation to speak out against different issues. These issues include the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement and women’s equality. Social media allows students to voice their opinions on a much larger scale than prior decades. Some students have hundreds of social media followers and are able to spread information beyond their local community. Media has always been a vehicle to get the word out about political change, and with more people using social media, information could be easily spread across the globe. Specific protest locations can be posted, and detailed messages about boycotts could quickly reach new audiences around neighborhoods, local communities, regions and countries. Social media has been proven to rapidly get the word out about activism to student communities.
Even in Montgomery County, there are organizations just for student activism. Montgomery County Students for Change (MoCo for Change) is a student-run activist group in Montgomery County, Maryland. This organization brings together students from all over the county, with the goal of “mobilizing the students of Montgomery County to solve the most pressing issues of our time,” according to the MoCo for Change website. Some of the issues it focuses on include preventing gun violence, registering young voters and combatting de facto school segregation. Moco for Change uses social media and related school clubs across the county to get the word out. The MoCo for Change members hold vigils, attend rallies, participate in peaceful protests and plan school walkouts. Their model promotes student activism and affirms that students of all ages can be real agents of change.
Student activism perseveres throughout all kinds of trouble that is happening in the world. The COVID-19 pandemic creates many challenges for the student activist community. In fact, some may say it could be harder to be an activist. However this may not be entirely the case. The COVID-19 quarantine has given students more time to participate in causes that matter to them. This summer, the BLM movement held rallies to protest racial inequities, police shootings and police brutality. BLM activists protested outdoors and encouraged people to wear masks.
Even people who could not attend protests found other ways to help. Donating to the BLM movement and raising awareness through social media are just some of the ways people can practice activism, despite COVID-19. Student activism has persevered through the decades. These student activists continue to stand up, show up, raise awareness and challenge what is happening in the world, to prove that age does not stop someone from changing the world.
This article was written by Isabella Silver of Winston Churchill High School
Graphic by Nyomi Fox of Walter Johnson High School