By Huxley Sidari (he/him/his), Youth volunteer with Youth v. Oil
The history of youth and student-led protests in the United States is one of injustice, pendulums, and taking matters into one’s own hands. In the face of adversity and discrimination, youth tend to have the most brutally honest but essential opinions on divisive issues. The current American political landscape is one of unrest. Over the previous decades, there have been rising currents and waves of youth- and student-led walkouts, protests, and secondary actions of civil disobedience in reaction to injustices they view as worth fighting for. According to Syracuse Law Review, “more recently, youth activism has arisen in the context of immigration reform, environmental reform, Black Lives Matter, and of course, gun control.”
While the Trump administration’s actions have been described as chaotic, tumultuous, and highly controversial, among other characterizations, the surge of discontent against the MAGA party and its affiliates is not solely due to the responses of elected officials and other qualified adults. This can be attributed to the youth’s organizing and participation in the anti-Trump movement. This rise of concern in primarily teenage audiences following and supporting the MAGA movement must serve as motivation for youth who oppose the movement to stand up and speak out against the increase in hate and discrimination.
However, to better understand the importance of youth and student-led protests and walkouts in the present, it is crucial to examine their history, including how they strategically combat their target issue.
The most courageous protesters in recent American history are arguably those who participated in the Civil Rights movement and fought against aggressive repression of rights. Following SCOTUS’ decision in 1954 to rule segregated schools as unconstitutional, it was apparent that those who had to muster the courage to use their right to desegregated education were Black and Brown youth, primarily teenagers. An iconic example is the case of the Little Rock 9, who were registered by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and ushered to a previously all-white school where they were subsequently met with death threats, verbal and physical harassment, dehumanizing comments, and were even blocked at the entrance by a crowd of almost 300 soldiers sent by the Governor of Arkansas due to his disagreement with the desegregation mandate. While not technically an example of a walkout, it is an example of superhuman courage and a testament to how a youth-based movement (however small they may be), with the support of an adult-led organization or group, can spark powerful change that has rippling effects across the nation.
Another renowned example of a youth-led protest more closer to home was the East Los Angeles walkouts in 1968, where upwards of 20,000 Chicano/Mexican-American students (you can read more about the history of Chicano struggles in San Diego here) marched out of schools, citing primarily run-down and overcrowded facilities, underqualified teachers, and discriminatory educational options that systematically excluded Chicanos from taking classes that white students were allowed to take. Due to this exclusion, Chicano students were generally forced into paths that led to more labor-intensive jobs, where their advancement in society was more restricted. While not primarily assisted by any adult-led organization as the Little Rock 9 were, the movement “spotlighted educational inequality, galvanized the Chicano civil rights movement, and inspired a new generation of activists, artists, educators, and elected officials,” according to History.com. The walkout symbolized how change can be initiated and executed solely by youth and students and still have powerful and positive outcomes for the advancement of all.
One of the most notable recent student-led walkouts took place a month following the devastating, infamous Parkland, Florida, school shooting that took the lives of 17 students and staff. The intense emotions of grief, anger, confusion, and frustration towards gun safety and control laws led to a thoroughly organized youth-centered walkout that attracted national attention and sparked walkouts across the country. Students all around spoke, protested, and pleaded for better legislation and peace of mind when attending schools, asking why this continues to happen and when change will occur. Following the walkout, a movement both in person and on social media took the nation by storm, spreading awareness on gun control and shootings in schools. The #NeverAgain hashtag represented an outrage across the country of both youth and adults alike, bringing more attention to proper gun legislation, citing the countless lives lost to preventable, rampant violence from firearms, and concerns over safety in areas where children are supposed to be protected. Being a mainly student-led movement, it properly amplified the voices of youth who spoke out against the lack of proper safety laws in schools, conveying their fear and anger towards those who make decisions regarding such matters. Those voices were able to shed more light on gun violence in schools in general, and this movement is credited as one of the few to have actually had an impact on protest culture and attitudes towards legislation on guns.
Surveying the current state of uprising against political adversaries in power, recent protests have highlighted the impact that numbers and people simply showing up have on the decisions and attitudes held inside and outside of governmental branches. By studying previous walkouts, sit-ins, protests, and other actions of defiance, we can identify what was and wasn’t effective in executing such actions. This knowledge will help us better organize as youth, or in collaboration with adults, to spread a message for change. In the case of the Little Rock 9, if it hadn’t been for the NAACP and the other adults involved in fighting against segregation-supported oppression, and the youth willingly putting themselves in danger by walking up to that school, there may not have been such a significant spotlight on desegregation. And in the case of the East L.A. walkouts, had it not been for the courage and opposition the Chicano youth held against an unfair school system, the Chicano movement would not have had the same impact it carries today.
In my case, I wouldn’t be writing this article or have known of Youth4Climate, Youth v. Oil, or SanDiego350 without attending the No Kings protest in June, which, in my opinion solidifies the need to mobilize and have everyone do their part in showing up, showing out, and respectfully defying what we won’t stand for. In the present, the Trump administration has amassed a fair amount of young followers due to hostile rhetoric and stereotypes radicalizing youth and students through social media, misinformation campaigns, and unfortunate external influences. Being able to stand up as a youth is more important than ever in fighting injustice and combating the push for hate and exclusionary messaging & actions.
In related news, Youth v. Oil will be hosting our own student-led walkouts in high schools across San Diego on October 24th, supporting SB 684 + AB 1243 or the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund, informally referred to as the Make Polluters Pay Act. The school strikes are focused on youth demanding change regarding climate action, urging their legislators to follow through on their commitments and promises to aid in creating a healthier and cleaner environment for California. Our goal is to have 20 schools across San Diego County participating. You can find out more information on the walkout here (the document is still in development), and/or fill out this form to host your walkout at your high school!
There’s always power in numbers. So what will you do?