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Youth Speak Out at Atlanta Social Justice March – A Roundup of Stories

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This video was shot and edited by Mikael Trench, 18, and Mack Walker, 14.

VOX spread out along the route of the Atlanta March for Social Justice & Women  — on a walk from our own downtown teen newsroom to the Center for Civil and Human Rights to the capitol building.

Here, teens from different backgrounds and schools present a variety of stories from Saturday’s event.

Four Steps Forward, One Step Back: Atlanta Marches for Social Justice 

The Atlanta Police Department estimated 60,000 people were there, covering the streets of downtown Atlanta. It was just one of many marches planned across the world in response to Donald Trump becoming the nation’s 45th president.

As I arrived to Atlanta’s event near the Center for Civil and Human Rights, I could feel the determination and desire everyone there had to get their voices heard. …

Sarah Lucas, a sophomore at Milton High School, kicked off our coverage with a summary on Saturday, the day of the march. 

A Muslim Girl Finds “Hope Not Fear”

“Hope not fear” seems to be a theme of the march.I attended the Atlanta March for Social Justice and Women Saturday through downtown with my mother and a few people who go to my mosque. I wanted my voice to be heard on issues like race relations and women’s rights, but also because I needed to see the hope and solidarity expressed on the faces and signs of fellow marchers in a historic moment I hope my children will someday ask me about.

Maya Martin, a senior at Warith Deen Mohammed High School, shares a reflection and photo gallery from her personal experience. 

 

Mothers & Daughters March for Social Justice 

From left to right: Siri Stutz (13), Sonya Stutz (9), Leif Baltris (9), and Liv StutzSporting one of the bright pink, cat-eared hats worn by many in the crowd, Liv Stutz was one of many women who attended their daughters. Stutz’s 13-year old daughter, Siri, spoke up, voicing her desire for change and resistance. “I want to do more like this, I think,” she said, looking to her mom. “This is the first thing like this I’ve gone out to, but it’s been really nice so far. We’ve just been walking down the streets with all these other people who believe in the same things and want the same future. It’s felt good being here.”

Holyn Thigpen, 16, attends DeKalb School of the Arts and reported about the mothers and kids who attended, what they got out of their multi-generational activism. 

Signs Said Plenty at the Atlanta March 

0121171419aTheir signs shouted what it seemed they could not say enough times. These were the messages they plastered onto cardboard boxes and poster board so that the world would see what they meant — so the world could see how much they meant it.

“The Future is Female!”

“Girls Just Want to Have Fun-damental Rights!”

“My body, my choice!”

Haley Henderson, 14-year-old at Grady High School, wrote this reported story showing the signs, sights and sounds of the crowd’s activism. 

 

LBGTQ Teens Regarding Trump  

IMG_3530I chose to interview exclusively LGBTQ youth because it resonates with me personally. Being queer myself, I know there’s a heightened sense of fear among my queer peers. I wanted to get a true feel of exactly what the LGBTQ youth in America are feeling.

At the Atlanta March for Social Justice & Women Saturday, I asked young people holding pro-LGBTQ signs or chanting LGBTQ slogans “What do you think Donald Trump will do for LGBTQ rights in America?” Here’s what they had to say.

Becca, 17, attends Southwest DeKalb High School and spoke to teens whose signs and chants focused on LGBT rights. 

A Stroll Through the Heart of the March  

Photo by Ogechi Ofodu/VOX Teen StaffThe day started walking behind

Bright pink pussy hats
I had never seen one in person

Then I met a 3 person family
Amanda, her daughter Grace, and husband Michael
holding handmade black lives matter signs
I had never seen one from a white family in person…

This poem by 19-year-old Ogechi Ofodu shares a reflection about her experience, thinking she’d just be a reporter at the March but ended up putting down the camera and raising a fist.  

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