5 minute read
Protests in Schools
Do students have a constitutional right to participate in non-disruptive protests during the school day?
WORDS by ALEXANDRA SIEGEL and FRANCES CARLSON ART by ALEXANDRA SIEGEL
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Students and teachers left their classes at 10:00 a.m. on March 14, 2018, to gather on the field for 17 minutes of silence, dedicating one minute towards each death caused by the mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
Among the many political, economic, and social issues of the past four years, the Laguna community has not seen any other student-organized walkouts or protests that could compare to the walkout in 2018.
Yet, acts of political activism are happening worldwide, whether in the Santa Barbara community, at other schools across the nation, or on countless social media apps and online forums.
So, is there something specific about Laguna's culture that can be pin-pointed for this lack of activism within the school community? It seems to boil down to a general lack of political participation and discourse on campus for many students and teachers. "I think student walkouts and protests should be encouraged at Laguna more. Protests organized outside school hours seem easier to attend, obviously, because we aren't missing a class. Still, the idea that we feel obligated to sit in a classroom for 55 minutes instead of walking for a cause we believe in doesn't make sense," said senior Molly Newell.
For decades, there have been reasons to speak out and fight, from the Black Lives Matter movement to gun control to international climate justice.
The United States holds a long, rich history of peaceful protests and walkouts, dating back to the 20th century.
Most notably, in 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders led peaceful, non-violent demonstrations for the rights of black people in the United States.
In more recent years, there have been numerous nationally televised movements that have touched the lives of many Americans. In the summer of 2020, after county police officer Dereck Chauvin killed George Floyd, there was nonstop talk, coverage, and discussions about the future of America's justice and policing systems.
In anger, sadness, remembrance, and confusion, people took to the streets over the innocent life lost. While many of these demonstrations did turn violent, those acts did not reflect the core values of the BLM movement.
Often, the media portrays protests in a negative light, giving people obstructed views on what the movements stand for. "In my experience, protests are safe… The community that protests together also takes care of each other. Many people often offer water, start conversations, and sometimes even dance," said junior Claire Kellett.
While the outpouring of emotion and discussion was prevalent in the many long-lasting in-person protests, similar sentiments were conveyed online. Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Snapchat feeds were overflowing with articles, images, and commentary about the history and future of racial justice.
Clearly, protests (both in-person and online) are a vital tool of democracy that allows citizens to exercise their First Amendment rights through freedom of speech and self-expression.
In the 21st century, these critical discussions go hand in hand with charges of performative activism.
This term defines someone who advocates for a cause only to garner attention and social benefits instead of a genuine passion or devotion to the subject matter. "Once you know what you care about and are doing more than just a repost on your Instagram story, that's when it isn't performative activism. But if all you do is click a button and think that you are helping the cause, then you are very wrong," Molly said.
Performative activism can take attention away from critically important issues and causes. It shines a light on the "activist" instead of the issues at hand.
So when thinking of activism in schools, when do you know what is passionate versus ingenuine? It can be hard to tell whether students are protesting for the right reasons, as their intentions can get lost in social media expectations or peer pressure. With walkouts during school hours, there comes a risk of students participating to get out of class. "When it comes to protests or walkouts, specifically in the Laguna community, it feels like an all or nothing scenario. From personal experience, if everyone is going to walk out, then that's fine, but when you as an individual have the opportunity to leave school to protest
something like abortion rights, for some reason, missing class is more consequential than losing the rights to your freedom of choice. I think that decision of prioritizing school sort of goes against the common belief that kids use protests to skip class," Molly said.
While it does seem that demonstrations of political activism can be both misrepresented and misused, the overarching idea remains important for young people to learn: practicing self-expression, advocating for their opinions, and engaging in difficult conversations.
As young people face the multitude of issues that will define the upcoming decades, they need to shape the environments and attitudes that will shape the future.
It is crucial to demonstrate interactive, purposeful learning in a student's education. Protests and walkouts allow students to engage in personal work support- ing the greater community and actively exploring passions.
While leaving meaningful learning at school for a protest may be challenging, it is part of what makes rallies educational and important. "Protests are disruptive to the learning environment, and I believe that's the point. It's supposed to be a disruption, a call to action, and an act that demands attention," said DEI coordinator Ursula Chan.
Alternatively, a lot of important work can be done outside of a rally. Whether it's informing your friends about different movements or engaging in critical conversations in class, there are a plethora of ways students can become involved in different discussions and dialogues. "The more that our students can read about current events, situations, and local/national/international politics the better. I want every student to want to learn about the world around them, that wants to be engaged in the dialogue, and that wants to do the research to understand various perspectives and stakeholders, said Head of Upper School Melissa Alkire. “Political activism should be a part of every American student's educational understanding because America was built on many tenants of rebellion and activism.”
