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“Nearly 300 students have had visas revoked and could face deportation.”
“Students protest Education Department closure in ‘Hands Off Our Schools’ rally.”
“Trump may seek judicial oversight of Columbia, potentially for years.”
These were just a few headlines from one early April day.
Students at SPA tend to stay informed. Whether through traditional newspapers, TikTok or newsletters, students pay attention to the decisions made in their community and across the globe.
In the years before the pandemic, student-organized activism at SPA was not an uncommon response to current events. In April 2021, students organized a school-wide protest against police brutality in the wake of Daunte Wright’s killing in Brooklyn Center. In April 2018 and on the anniversary of the Columbine shooting, students gathered with posters and bullhorns in front of the Huss Center and marched to the State Capitol to speak out against gun violence. But today, in the face of a deep political divide, student protest initiatives have dwindled.
It is important to keep in mind the ways the pandemic redefined acceptable forms of protest. During the months of isolation, student activists did not vanish, rather they moved their focus onto social media. Young people became fluent with video, photo and captions to raise awareness. In 2020, their methods gained serious recognition after nearly 28 million people posted black squares with #BlackoutTuesday on Instagram accounts in response to George Floyd’s murder.
At the same time, while digital protest allowed students to reach an extended audience, young Americans also grew increasingly worried about the future. The Harvard Making Caring Common Project reported in 2021 that 61% of survey respondents aged 18-25 described serious loneliness. A lesser-known benefit of protesting is that it can combat these feelings of isolation and helplessness.
Dr. David Reiss, a professor at the Yale Child Study Center, finds that activities that support feelings of agency and reduce hopelessness, such as protesting, can disrupt feelings like fear and frustration. Dr. Bandy X. Lee, a psychiatrist at Yale University, adds that protesting alone can be therapeutic, especially for those who have faced discrimination. By voicing their concerns, students can transform negative experiences into positive ones. There is a sense of empowerment just from acting and feeling seen.
Activism does not have to be a traditional protest with signs and chants, as long as it is a statement or action expressing disapproval or objection. It could involve buying products that use practices the student supports, or volunteering with a campaign by phone-banking or letter writing. As many athletes have showed, protest can be as simple as kneeling during the national anthem.
Questioning peers and community members and engaging in challenging dialogue takes courage. But students are equipped with the resources and community support to do more than talk. By drawing on inspiration from the young activists who came before us and incorporating tools from today, students can take a stand.
