By: Anna Rhoads ’19

Staples is known for providing students the opportunity to fight for what they believe in. Clubs like Social Activism, JSA and the Young Democrats and Republicans clubs, along with local events such as the Westport Democracy Walk held on March 26, give students an outlet to speak their minds.
Across the country, local and nationwide political activism events have gained popularity. These events call upon thousands of citizens to peacefully demonstrate their beliefs. The purpose is to spread a message to the government and the people of America with the intent of hopefully making a positive impact.
“If democracy is of the people, by the people and for the people, then the people need to do something,” Cathy Schager, social studies teacher, said. “It’s especially good for you guys to be involved and start figuring out what matters to you because there is only so much we can do in the classroom to prepare you to be citizens.”
With more organizations forming in the area, such as CT, Fairfield Standing United, Connecticut Against Gun Violence and Indivisible Connecticut, there will be more events in the future and additional chances to practice political activism.
The Democracy Walk was the beginning of a more outspoken Westport. The purpose was to exercise the citizens’ right for peaceful protest in a democratic country and to show their dissatisfaction with current governmental actions. Theo Koskoff ’18 was one of the marchers in the Democracy Walk. He also recently participated in a Black Lives Matter rally. “I participated in it because the criminal justice system has been rigged to hurt African Americans for years now,” he said.
Along with the Black Lives Matter rally, Koskoff also attended a Refugees Welcome protest. “This was in response to the disgusting fervor with which Donald Trump speaks about refugees. I wanted to let people know that refugees are human beings, not rapists or murderers or terrorists, and that they have been through what we can’t possibly imagine,” Koskoff said.
Although the Democracy Walk was in the form of a march, there are many other ways to carry out a political activist event. These include: rallies, protests, volunteering, petitions, boycotts, demonstrations and more. This long list and a never-ending amount of opportunity is the reason so many Staples students have gotten involved.
Another one of these students is Anna Uman ’19, who attended the Democracy Walk and the Women’s March in New York City last January.
“For me, the achievement is letting the government know that there are people in our country who disagree with their new policies and budget cuts,” Uman said. “We aren’t going to just sit around and let it happen without showing our condemnation.”
The growth in political activism events can be credited to the start of a new presidency and the fact that technology and social media advances every day. “A lot of millennials have been discouraged for a long time,” Zellie Thomas, social commentator and activist, said. “Now, with social media, they feel empowered, like people are hearing their voice.”
Many of these millennials who feel the way Thomas described are at Staples. “I think political activism is important because to me it is the cornerstone of American freedom,” Uman said. “It’s standing up for what you believe in even if the rest of the country or government thinks oppositely.”