By Mary-Kay Floyd, Courier News Editor
It’s been a week since Donald J. Trump was elected as president of the United States, and the students of our school are still affected by the outcome.
James Logan High decided to have a protest of their own which brought unity to a couple hundred students.
The protest was organized by senior Sophia Ahmadi, senior class vice president Kirthana Iyer, and senior class president Naimah Hameed. The walkout went from the beginning of 4th period to near the end of 5th period. The students and staff who attended the protest marched from the school to the front of City Hall.
The three young women who organized this protest wanted to get gather students together in a call for unity. The protest wasn’t necessarily an attempt to stop Trump from becoming the official POTUS.
“I know this protest/walkout will change nothing about Trump’s presidency, but it will make a difference in our students feeling loved & safe on & around campus. That to me is what matters most,” said Naimah Hameed.
It’s true. Students are hurt. A handful of students got to speak in front of the crowd and let their voice be heard. Many of the students who spoke started to cry in anguish and even in fear of what they next four years will bring.
Imiliana Aminyar, a junior, was affected by the speakers.
“Everyone who spoke had left a large impact on the crowd listening. Many strong opinions and feelings were brought up that made you feel less alone and more comfortable in our own community.”
Donald Trump, known for degrading people who didn’t look like him, has hurt many groups of people who live in this country. Many minority groups during the protest were identified and reminded that they weren’t alone. This goes for people of color, women, Muslims, the LGBTQ community, and undocumented immigrants.
“I, being a bisexual woman raised in a Muslim family, initially felt hurt. I couldn’t believe that so many people voted for a person who didn’t respect my rights,” said Sophia, one of the leaders of this protest.
I didn’t attend the protest just to write an article on it, but because I felt let down from the 59,580,000 citizens who voted for Trump. The people who supported a man who blatantly disrespected the existence of many people, are the same people who gave him such high power. As a woman of color, this damages my hope for this nation and the idea I once had believing that this country was a promise that there would be “justice for all.”
The protest was overall peaceful and didn’t cause any problems, despite the very few students who went only to use it as an excuse to skip class.
A special thank you to the UCPD for ensuring the safety of the students, and a special thank you to the staff and students who attended to show support for each other.
