Together We March
Page 7
The March for Our Lives spawned nearly eight hundred “sibling marches” in the US and abroad and was one of the largest student-driven marches in history. Due in part to this youth-energized activism, in 2018 alone, sixty-seven gun safety bills in twenty-six states and DC were signed into law, and the number of youth voters rose by 31 percent, the highest turnout in years. But federal gun control has not yet been passed, so young people continue to come together to march and be voices for change, seeking to protect their lives, those of their neighbors and peers, and all of their futures from bullets and laws that do not adequately keep them safe.
YOUTH CLIMATE STRIKE “FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE”
Stockholm, Sweden, and Worldwide
March 15, 2019
People tell us that we can’t change climate change because we’re just kids… but we still have a voice. We still have the ability to stand up for something. We need to stand up for our right to protect our future.…
—Sabirah Mahmud, lead organizer of Philadelphia Youth Climate Strike
TOGETHER WE MARCH BECAUSE OUR PLANET, THIS GENERATION, AND FUTURE GENERATIONS ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME
While in the US we have marched for stronger gun control and protections for undocumented minors, activists all over the world have been calling for everyone to focus on climate change. The earth’s climate is altering rapidly, and this change has an effect on the air, land, and animals, and on each of us. As global temperatures increase, oceans grow warmer and expand, glaciers melt faster, and sea levels rise. This causes animals to migrate and attempt to adapt to more hostile environments, crops to die, and people’s livelihoods and communities to be affected by droughts, wildfires, and heat waves. The elderly and the poor are especially vulnerable to these harsh elements.
For many years, scientists and climate activists around the world have issued warnings about the climate crisis, explaining that humans carry much of the blame for the increase because we add more greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), from man-made sources like power plants, electricity, cars, trucks, and planes into the atmosphere. Unfortunately, politicians and CEOs who could help reverse this impact have not listened. So, in August of 2018, a fifteen-year-old in Stockholm, Sweden, decided to act herself. She was in part inspired by Black civil rights activist Rosa Parks, an introvert like her, who had refused to leave her bus seat for a white person, igniting a bus boycott. Greta Thunberg now believed there was a way her voice could be heard too, so she took a seat on the sidewalk outside the Swedish parliament, refusing to go to school. She realized that by refusing to do something, just like Rosa Parks did, she could potentially make a difference too.
Greta refused to attend classes until Swedish officials took a more proactive role in dealing with issues of the climate. Eventually more students joined her, as well as adults, including the media. Some stood in support, others told her to go back to school, but soon her supporters outnumbered her critics and it did not take long for her example to catch on. Young people were inspired by someone their age taking a stand for their future, like the Parkland students did in America. Soon thousands of them started walking out of their classrooms each Friday, calling it Fridays for Future. Some protested for a few minutes, others for the full day. They understood each act of defiance was important. Greta told her peers that just like other youth-led movements, they needed to turn their anger into action and fight for their future since many adults did not seem to deem it a priority.
And that is exactly what over 1.4 million young activists across the globe did on March 15, 2019. They marched! When Greta called for a global youth climate strike, her peers around the world mobilized. Though they had no legal power, they understood they could not wait until they were older, because then it would be too late for their generation. Scientists said they had eleven more years until climate change became irreversible. So, at 11:00 a.m., to symbolize the eleven years, student-led and student-organized protests began. Instead of going to class, students marched. One group led with the banner, WE’RE MISSING OUR LESSONS SO WE CAN TEACH YOU ONE.
There were 2,052 reported events, in at least 123 countries. In Sydney, Australia, at least 30,000 marched from Town Hall Square to Hyde Park. In Delhi, India, 200 students marched out of their classrooms into the streets. In Tokyo, Japan, students marched from United Nations University through the capital in a busy shopping district. And in Kampala, Uganda, when the fourteen-year-old organizer was denied a permit to march along a busy downtown street with one hundred other grade school and university students, she simply used another street! Together, through the power of social media and through Greta’s unwavering focus and example, marchers everywhere were energized and determined not to give up until the climate crisis became a priority for every lawmaker and world citizen.
The fight to address the climate crisis is far from over, but through the awareness that young voices like Greta’s—and those of Autumn Peltier, Xiye Bastida, Isra Hirsi, and Amariyanna Copeny, to name a few—have brought to the cause, the climate is at the forefront of many conversations and policy discussions. In March 2019, Greta Thunberg, who once thought of herself as invisible, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. One girl refusing to accept the status quo helped build and energize a whole movement that continues to march on today.
JUSTICE FOR GEORGE FLOYD AND BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTESTS
Minneapolis, Minnesota; Nashville, Tennessee; and Worldwide
May 26, 2020, and beyond
what does unity look like? this is what unity looks like. change is coming. we see it we feel it, we know it. A new revolution is on the way.
—Teens4Equality Instagram post, June 5, 2020
TOGETHER WE MARCH DURING A PANDEMIC BECAUSE BLACK LIVES DO MATTER
Since the 2014 NAACP Youth March, names of victims such as Trayvon Martin, Kayla Moore, Walter Scott, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Natasha McKenna, Freddie Gray, Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, Stephon Clark, Atatiana Jefferson, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and countless others joined Michael Brown’s in news stories of police brutality and racism that got little attention outside their communities and always seemed to come to the same end—outrage from the Black community and headlines, but often few consequences or changes to stop such inexcusable tragedies from happening again. But then in May of 2020, a particular incident captured on video claimed the attention of the United States and many nations around the world. It was not the first time there was video evidence of police killing an unarmed Black person, but it had a much different effect for so many who saw it.
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a forty-six-year-old Black man, was arrested by police for allegedly paying a store clerk with a counterfeit twenty-dollar bill. Though there were many bystanders, it was the video footage recorded by a seventeen-year-old that would help create a multicultural movement. People around the world watched as her footage showed that for up to eight minutes and forty-six seconds, a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee onto the neck of a handcuffed George Floyd while two other officers restrained his chest and legs with their full weight, cutting off his ability to breathe, and another officer stood by and watched. Despite his cries of “I can’t breathe” and urgent pleas for help, along with onlookers’ calls to aid, not harm him, the officers did not move or let up, and Mr. Floyd was killed.
The video surfaced as the deep-rooted inequalities and racist slashes in the fabric of society in the United States were being highlighted. The world was trying to make sense of a highly infectious respiratory virus, COVID-19, that was killing hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. Black, brown, and Indigenous communities were affected in much higher numbers. This magnified long-standing health, economic, and social inequalities. Often these injustices went ignored or unnoticed by a number of Americans, especially white people; however, many could no longer ignore this stark imbalance. In a similar way, the video of the killing of George Floyd forced many in the country to face the fact that Black people were also under ongoi
ng threat of death at the hands of police because of the color of their skin.
Instantly the world reacted like it never had before. Though largely ignited by disgust over the officers’ apparent blatant and sustained disregard for Mr. Floyd’s life and the unnecessary aggression used against a man who was handcuffed and compliant, millions were also deeply troubled by the other officers’ inaction and seeming lack of concern for his repeated calls for help. For the first time, many witnessed firsthand what Black communities have been speaking out against since before the Civil Rights movement and Jim Crow: that some of those called to protect and serve create the violence that brutalizes Black lives. That race, as they were seeing in so many facets of life and in one appalling incident after another, did have a profound effect on quality of life.
Protesters began to organize, and soon the number of marches was in the hundreds and then the thousands. Marches were multigenerational and multiracial. Some were led by longtime activists and some by those new to speaking out. Many of those newfound leaders were young people. By June 4, 2020, ten days after George Floyd’s death, fifteen-year-old Zee Thomas and five other Nashville teen girls between the ages of fourteen and sixteen (Nya Collins, Jade Fuller, Kennedy Green, Emma Rose Smith, and Mikayla Smith) had organized and started an Instagram page and a coalition called Teens4Equality. They were ready to lead Nashville in a march. With the help of the local Black Lives Matter Nashville chapter and other supporters who got the word out, they staged the largest protest in the region’s history since the lunch counter sit-ins of the 1960s. Like in marches all across the world, people came to lend their hearts, their bodies, and their support to protect Black lives. More than 10,000 people marched for almost five hours advocating for policing reform. The young women who led the Nashville march wore T-shirts that read: THE REVOLUTION STARTS WITH US, WE NEED CHANGE, WHAT’S DONE IN THE DARK, M*E*L*A*N*I*N, and WE MAKE IT HAPPEN.
The death of George Floyd was the spark so many like them needed to no longer sit by in silence. People worldwide of different ethnic backgrounds gathered for weeks and weeks, shouting, “Black Lives Matter,” “Black Trans Lives Matter,” and “Black Kids Matter.” Marches against police violence and for Black lives took place in all fifty states and the District of Columbia.
While this movement has had far more support than ever in the past, it’s not been without resistance. Much attention was focused by some on looters and rioters, with the aim of detracting from the positive strides of the majority of peace-minded protesters and their agenda. But these racist tactics did not stop marchers seeking equality for all and the dismantling of the systemic and deeply embedded racism in everyday life and institutions like the police force. And while in the past these tragedies and ensuing protests often led to little real change, this time the world seems to be taking largely unified action and refusing to back down. Many lawmakers and police departments are listening and working with communities toward that change. Confederate flags and symbols have been removed by state governments and businesses. Companies that had long remained silent showed support of #BlackLivesMatter and began to look at their own role in the perpetuation of racism. And the movement has become not just a call against racism, but a call to be anti-racist—which involves an active effort to oppose and dismantle racism in all forms. But most of all, more people than ever from varied backgrounds and lived experiences demanded a collective change and refused to let up. There is still a long way to go in dismantling the system of racism, but these protests have encouraged many to act, and have shown that even long-obstructed change can start to happen when we all come together and march.
CONCLUSION
FROM MOTHER JONES TO GRETA THUNBERG TO THE TRAGIC DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD, WE'VE SEEN HOW ALL IT TAKES IS ONE PERSON STANDING UP FOR SOMETHING OR AN UNJUST MOMENT CAPTURED FOR THE WORLD TO SEE TO INSPIRE THOUSANDS TO COME TOGETHER AND MAKE THE CHANGE THEY ARE SEEKING POSSIBLE. IN MARCHING TOGETHER, ALL OF US AS INDIVIDUALS NEED TO MAKE THE CHOICE NOT ONLY TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF OURSELVES AND OUR FAMILIES, BUT TO HOLD DEAR AND PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF OUR FELLOW CITIZENS AS WELL. TOGETHER WE MARCH FOR MANY THINGS-PROTECTION, EQUALITY, LEARNING, INDEPENDENCE, EXISTENCE, ACCEPTANCE, UNDERSTANDING, AND LIFE-BUT MOST OF ALL, WE MARCH FOR ONE ANOTHER, SO THAT ALL OF US MIGHT HAVE A BETTER LIFE IN THE WORLD WE SHARE.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
That which is hateful to you do not do to your neighbors.
—Hillel the Elder
Living in DC, you see marches occurring frequently for almost every cause, but in 2017 I was fascinated by the wave of these protests unfolding across the country and the world. It felt like the world had been rattled awake. Soon, I started researching other moments in history, both large and small, when people were shaken enough to protest as we do now. I was immediately struck by some of the overlapping themes that continue today from as far back as the nineteenth century—fair pay, safety, fairness, freedom, survival, a voice, and a place to belong. People have marched over and over, sometimes at great risk to themselves, to force us as the public to think about unfair working conditions, war, education, racism, injustice, and a multitude of issues that affect so many. Sometimes the marches brought about enormous change, greater awareness, or started determined movements. Other times a march was simply a moment of togetherness, where a group of people collectively took a stand for what they believe. Where anger turned to motivation, then action. Where one courageous voice became many. Where someone stood taller, realizing they weren’t alone in their beliefs. But no matter what, they all kept going. Often it was their signs that told the stories of their frustrations, their grievances, their hopes, and their demands. And as I looked through countless images, three signs from two different points in history stood out to me—young people fighting the same fights in different eras. Their signs spoke of GAY POWER, BLACK POWER, WOMEN POWER, STUDENT POWER. They said, IN MY HOUSE WE BELIEVE BLACK LIVES MATTER, WOMEN’S RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS, NO HUMAN IS ILLEGAL, SCIENCE IS REAL, LOVE IS LOVE, KINDNESS IS EVERYTHING. As one little girl’s sign in the 1970s reads: NONE OF US IS FREE, UNTIL ALL OF US ARE FREE, and for me, that can’t be truer or more apparent than today. So I know these words will stay firmly in my heart and mind and that they will inspire me, and I hope all of us will join them in never stopping to march together until the world is truly free.
JULY 7 - 29, 1903
MARCH OF THE MILL CHILDREN PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, TO OYSTER BAY, NEW YORK
FEBRUARY 9, 1907
MUD MARCH LONDON, ENGLAND
JULY 28, 1917
SILENT PROTEST PARADE NEW YORK, NEW YORK
MARCH 12 - APRIL 6, 1930
THE SALT MARCH AHMEDABAD, INDIA, TO DANDI, INDIA
MAY 24, 1943
BULGARIAN JEWS MARCH SOFIA, BULGARIA
NOVEMBER 1, 1961
WOMEN STRIKE FOR PEACE NATIONWIDE
MAY 2 - 7, 1963
THE CHILDREN'S MARCH BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
AUGUST 28, 1963
MARCH ON WASHINGTON FOR JOBS AND FREEDOM WASHINGTON, DC
NOVEMBER 20, 1964
FREE SPEECH MOVEMENT AND MARCH BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA
MARCH 17 - APRIL 10, 1966
DELANO TO SACRAMENTO MARCH DELANO, CALIFORNIA, TO SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA
NOVEMBER 13 - 15, 1969
MORATORIUM TO END THE WAR IN VIETNAM WASHINGTON, DC
APRIL 22, 1970
EARTH DAY MARCH ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, AND NATIONWIDE
JUNE 28, 1970
CHRISTOPHER STREET LIBERATION DAY MARCH NEW YORK, NEW YORK
FEBRUARY 11 - JULY 15, 1978
THE LONGEST WALK SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, TO WASHINGTON, DC
SEPTEMBER 13, 1989
CAPE TOWN PEACE MARCH CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
MARCH 12, 1990
CAPITOL CRAWL WASHINGTON, DC
JANUARY 17 - JUNE 1, 1998
GLOBAL MARCH AGAINST CHILD LABOUR MANILA, PHILIPPINES; GENEVA, SWITZERLAND; AND WORLDWIDE
NOVEMBER 3, 2012
MILLION PUPPET MARCH WASHINGTON, DC
JANUARY 22, 2013
WANYAMA URITHI WETU WALK "WILDLIFE IS OUR HERITAGE WALK" NAIROBI, KENYA
AUGUST 23, 2014
NAACP YOUTH MARCH FERGUSON, MISSOURI
JANUARY 21, 2017
WOMEN'S MARCH WASHINGTON, DC, AND WORLDWIDE
FEBRUARY 15 - MARCH 1, 2018
THE WALK TO STAY HOME NEW YORK, NEW YORK, TO WASHINGTON, DC
MARCH 24, 2018 MARCH FOR OUR LIVES
WASHINGTON, DC, AND WORLDWIDE
MARCH 15, 2019
YOUTH CLIMATE STRIKE STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, AND WORLDWIDE
MAY 26, 2020, AND BEYOND
JUSTICE FOR GEORGE AND BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTESTS MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA; NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE; AND WORLDWIDE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR
LEAH HENDERSON is the author of Together We March and One Shadow on the Wall. She is a mentor, avid traveler, and a believer in all readers seeing their possibilities. She holds an MFA in writing, is on faculty at Spalding University’s graduate writing program, and currently calls Washington, DC, home. When she’s not out getting lost then found in some corner of the world, you can find her snuggling with her dog or through leahhendersonbooks.com.