“They should be doxed and arrested.”
“Poor whiny little sh**s .”
“ … Going to h*ll for being stupid, repent or go to h*ll.”
I braced myself for every word dripping with venom and malice. I knew protesting came with a cost. I just didn’t expect more than 8,000 comments and nearly 100,000 views reacting to my face on a TV screen.
Feb. 2 at 10:15 a.m. was the moment I chose to participate in a walkout at my high school, not realizing the repercussions and the spotlight it would bring.
That day, I walked out of the school doors with a hundred other students to peacefully protest immigration enforcement policies.
As we marched down the street with homemade signs and our backpacks, I didn’t see a group of kids who were “skipping” school or ignorant students with no awareness. I saw a passionate community of students who were hopeful in making a change.
After the walkout, the effects of my actions escalated beyond my control and brought me into situations I had never imagined.
With an out-of-school suspension, I felt powerless in my situation. I turned to the only familiar tool I knew, which was the voice of journalism.
I contacted a local news station, WTHR, pitching my story and hoping someone would listen amid the sea of potential, bigger stories.
Against all odds, I received an interview request from WTHR the next morning. With all of the courage I could muster, I did a news segment outside of my high school for the 6 p.m. news.
Within days, I received a flood of comments and varied reactions. I expected disagreement from strangers looking in from the outside, but what surprised me most was the pushback I received from the people I knew.
People questioned me, asking why would I do something so “foolish” or break the rules. Some friends disagreed with me politically, and many met me with silence and distance. This was all a painful reminder of the cost of speaking up.
At first, I couldn’t fathom why I was being punished socially and academically for simply standing up for what I believe in.
Now, a month after the protest, I’ve come to realize that in every phase of history, there have always been people who disagree with the protestors. Disagreement and disapproval are inevitable.
But what truly matters are the people who are brave enough to take a stand against injustice, those who take a risk to speak up for those who cannot.
As civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
Looking back on my experiences, I’m not burdened with regret and shame. I’m empowered with purpose and agency. And I’m more determined than ever to keep fighting for the things I believe in, no matter how many protests it takes.
