Walkout for a new beginning

Students+should+be+respectful+of+the+opinions+of+others+when+discussing+race.+They+should+also+take+advantage+of+the+opportunities+to+discuss+race+in+school.+

Students should be respectful of the opinions of others when discussing race. They should also take advantage of the opportunities to discuss race in school.

Protest demonstrations are the cornerstone of a free society, but they are not always the most effective or logical way to express opinions. While student activism has a prominent place in history, it is disingenuous to pursue it for all social issues.

At noon Dec. 1, 36 students walked out of their classes and marched out of the school, holding their hands up and chanting “we want justice.” The demonstration coincided with walkouts across the nation over the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. The caravan marched two blocks to the Hennepin County library where the organizers hosted a discussion about race issues in our school.

School walkouts are most effective when used by students to protest events concerning the school or the school system.

This is an important conversation to have at our school, but given the effects of walking out of class and the nature of the act being protested, it was not the most effective way of accomplishing their goals.

In general, these protests work because they have a direct impact on the institution being protested.

But when the Missouri justice system is in question, the walkout affects the wrong people. Disrupting classes to protest unrelated issues to school is the wrong tactic.

The student body would have benefitted more by holding an after school protest along with a club meeting to discuss the racial issues present in both our nation and our own community. A club discussion would have attracted students who have opinions on the topic but were unwilling to leave school as well as teachers, which was not possible with a school-day walkout.

This is not to say the demonstration was ineffective. The disruption did serve to bring more attention to the issue than it may have received otherwise.

In order to make a real impact, the discussion about race ought to be continued in clubs and classrooms so students have a chance to openly discuss their opinions on this issue.

This is something students can take upon themselves to do. By forming clubs and other organizations that deal with the issue of racial inequality in our community, students can create a lasting impact.

Students need to ensure that the message doesn’t end here. Discussions about race need to become regular occurrences and efforts should be made to reach the entire student body through clubs and other resources.