City High School has always had a very politically active student body and this is needed now more than ever.
Between the upcoming trial of Scott Warren, a border activist charged with aiding immigrants enter the US, an October 8th LGBT rights Supreme Court case, and the lack of climate justice legislation, it can seem like our world is falling apart. Luckily, City High has very effectively fostered a community of student advocacy and political involvement. The students here feel they have a voice, and more importantly feel their voice can cause a difference.
September 20th was a day of climate action around the globe.
More than half of the City High’s student body, about 100 students, attended a youth led protest at Presidio park, meeting up with students from Pueblo High, University High, Rincon High, and Tucson High. A significant number of middle schoolers from Paulo Freire-Downtown also attended the protest.
Many CHS students helped organize the protest and gather materials such as cardboard and markers for sign making, water, ice, and food. Eventually the student walkout gave way to a general strike, but many students, from all schools, stuck around and voiced their support for climate action legislation.
The protest drew an estimated thousand students, as reported by KOLD News 13.
The protest wouldn’t have been as impactful without some of the strategies and actions the organizers took to ensure a successful event. For example, one of the most important parts of organizing a protest or rally is assembling a team of truly devoted people with a wide range of skills.
You want some people who can plan, some people who can research, and some that can network. Having a wide variety of skills represented through your team can help the movement gain publicity.
The researcher can find eye catching facts, the planner can then create an event to give these facts a platform, and the networker can spread the word of the event and gain support from the general public and the media.
Another important step in the organizing process is setting an agenda. The agenda for the protest helps ensure everything is running smoothly and can give the organizers a sense of when to speed things up or slow things down.
However, the agenda doesn’t have to set the stage for the entire protest and often times it doesn’t. The agenda is a loose guideline and is open to mistakes and new ideas. No protest is going to be completely perfect but having a loose agenda can help ensure success.
City High School is a prime example of student activism.
Because of the school’s open and inviting community, students aren’t scared to share their beliefs and teachers aren’t scared to show their support. Many of our students are experienced in political involvement and those who aren’t are jumping at the opportunity to learn. The September 20th climate strike is a great illustration of how a community of student advocacy and political involvement can inspire youth to take charge and make a difference.
This strike will not be the last of its kind and it certainly won’t be the last that CHS students take part in.
Ruby Lenertz
Photo Credit: Seth Smith