Unexpected obstacles reveal need to fight for core values

Across many cultures in our society, we have designated specific events as moments of transition into adulthood: flipping the tassel on a graduation cap, making an aliyah as a bar/bat/ b’nei mitzvah, walking down the aisle at a quinceañera.

Never would I have expected that a man physically intimidating me as I reported on a Board of Education (BOE) meeting would become such a moment for me, in which adults both for and against the banned book display had come out to the BOE meeting to voice their opinions.

As the adult towered over my mere 5 foot 2 inch frame, he questioned my presence and identity. Despite his rapid approach and his demands to put my camera down, I did not even think of backing down.

“I am a journalist,” I said. “I’m here with Inklings News to write an unbiased article on the controversy about the Staples library’s Banned Books Week display.”

While a younger version of myself may have been intimidated, I stood my ground. My title as a journalist and my steadfast support of the First Amendment gave me courage I had never before felt. Inklings instilled in me that our freedom of the press is a barrier to the deterioration of democracy. In the face of unfortunately growing distrust of journalists in the country, at that moment, I realized I was no longer a kid with inconsequential actions; with local elected leaders and community members alike watching me, my persistence in covering news would shape our town.

Now, I feel pride as other Inklings reporters tell me that my story motivated them to cover other BOE meetings and get more involved with local politics.

These past few tumultuous years, I’ve often felt helpless as problems emerged and erupted around the world and at home. Part of my transition into adulthood was the realization that I can take action that will shift the proverbial mountain and that covering real issues in journalism meant I wasn’t so helpless. In that moment, I felt I was a catalyst in my community, fulfilling my purpose but also being part of a chain reaction larger than myself.

Whether you’ve been confronted by someone attempting to test your convictions or not, we are all qualified to make change in our communities and be everyday superheroes. When I feel that urge to hide from the world, I remember that I am Lilly Weisz the journalist, and I will not back down.