My right hand grasped my son’s stroller, and my left hand was high up in the air, holding a sign that read, “Families Belong Together!” In 2018, my three-year-old son and I walked along Windows by the Bay in Monterey as cars honked their horns driving by, people rolled down their windows and cheered, “Whoo woo” and “YEAH!,” and fellow marchers waved their signs. At three years old, my son may not have core memories of this day, but I will and of his presence alongside me as I stood for and marched against the Trump administration tearing families apart and putting children in cages.
Marches and protests are engaging activities that teach children social justice issues and activism at an early age. They reinforce and teach children that their voices are seen, heard, and matter and that individual actions impact communities. These abstract concepts are challenging to teach young children (and, quite frankly, many adults), but seeing activism through action teaches social justice and makes complex situations tangible and concrete.
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
Children learn from adults not only through words but through the actions (and inactions) adults take. Attending marches and protests that align with a family’s social justice and equality values teaches children the importance of activism and fighting for those concepts. Examples include attending local school board meetings to learn the importance of public education and curriculum, attending Martin Luther King Jr. Day marches to discuss the Civil Rights Movement and social justice, and attending Pride parades and marches for our democracy. A Ruby Bridges Walk to School ties in the concept to learn about our historical events, their impact, and the importance of continuing to fight.
“I shared with my eight-year-old granddaughter stories about resistance during the Civil Rights Movement and Vietnam protests. I remember one where there were 300,000 thousand people in NYC and even more in Washington, DC. I share that protests and boycotts restored women’s, civil, and LGBTQIA rights.” Meg B.
Democracy is not a noun but a verb. It is fragile and not guaranteed. Many of the rights and freedoms that we have as Americans were fought for through marches, protests, and activism. Overtime pay and workers’ rights protections, interracial marriage and same-sex marriage equality, women’s right to vote, and women having their own credit cards are a few examples of rights that were created through the fight and activism of others.
ACTIVISM BUILDS COMMUNITY
Meeting and marching alongside strangers aligned with a common cause builds community. People who have never met—yet sing or walk together—ask one another about their signs and engage in conversations to activate community partnerships and interests.
“I took my two young girls to the Women’s March to show them what community and support look like. Even in dark times and uncertainity, like Mister Rogers said, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ I wanted to show that a community built on love and compassion makes a difference.” Kori N.
STANDING UP FOR YOUR BELIEFS (AND AGAINST BULLIES)
One of the most challenging lessons in childhood is standing up to bullies who hurt you or your friends. Similar to talking to your child about standing up to someone being unkind on the playground, it is essential to stand up to what’s not right in the world.
Marches and protests encourage and emphasize individual voices and expression, and when children believe their voice has value, their self-confidence and self-worth grow.
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