FARAH ELJAZZAR OPINIONS EDITOR SAEHEE PEREZ CHIEF MARKETING MANAGER TANNER COERR SPORTS EDITOR OMAR KAYALI OPINIONS EDITOR MAKDA BEKELE DESIGN EDITOR
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f you swipe past this Snapchat story, you don’t support people of color. If you don’t sign this online petition, you’re perpetuating systemic racism. You must post this black square on your Instagram page to show that you’re a true ally. We can see who doesn’t, by the way. At McLean, a combination of growing social movements and the easy access to activism has led to an uptick in student advocacy on a local level. Whether it be through social media or real-world civic engagement such as protests or lobbying, McLean students have expressed a variety of responses to local social justice issues.
[STUDENT ACTIVISM] REALLY STARTED IN 2018... NOW WE HAVE MORE CLUBS THAT ARE CENTERED AROUND - ELLEN REILLY STUDENTS’ ISSUES.”
PRINCIPAL
In 2020, the school board revised Regulation 2234 to give students in grades 7-12 one partial school day per year to participate in civic engagement activities. The policy ensured that students would not have to face consequences of an unexcused absence because they missed school for a civic engagement event. The following year, the Virginia legislature passed Senate Bill
22 | IN-DEPTH | March 2022
1439, expanding the FCPS policy statewide and making it a fullday excused absence. “Ever since the school board passed the ability for students to become active participants in their community, we’ve seen a spike in [student advocacy],” McLean Principal Ellen Reilly said. “[Student activism] really started in 2018 with [a walkout for] the [Parkland High School] shooting down in Florida… Now we have more clubs that are centered around students’ issues about race, religion and identity.” Organizations such as the Black Student Union (BSU), Students Advocating for Equality (SAFE) club and Muslim Student Association (MSA) are working to bring more attention to the issues minorities face. Despite the growing popularity of these clubs, challenges persist in the region. Obstacles include racism, performative activism with the influence of social media and the struggle to circumvent rules and regulations for in-school advocacy.
School Organizations
In June 2020, hundreds of McLean students, teachers and parents marched to protest the murder of George Floyd. The march was covered by local news and featured students who gave speeches about race at McLean. “I talked about my experiences with racism and being exposed to police brutality at a young age,” said senior Zora Rodgers, who spoke at the rally.
