I am part of a generation of students that are being compared to students of the 60s. They were part of a generation that spoke up about issues that affected them personally but also collectively. They advocated for the ‘we’ and not ‘I.’
During the March for Our Lives national event I was surrounded by 15,000 people, the largest turnout of recent activism, according to the Tampa Bay Times. I saw an older woman holding a protest sign behind me saying, “I feel like I am in the sixties again!”
Activism amongst the youth is nothing new in American history. Political engagement on and off campuses today has been relatively similar to the 1960s. However, they are not unique to that time period-butthe size, scope and significance of the protest has never been seen before. The student protests of the 60s touched upon different topics such as freedom of speech, the treatment of protestors, military policies like the draft, and the Vietnam War.
Bill Shkurtiand David Steigerwald, the authors and professors, discussed politics and protests on college campuses in a an Ohio State History podcast. According to them, students in the 60s grew up in a time of institutionalized injustices and hypocrisy. The mantra of the 60s was to gain back their autonomy, creativity, authenticity and authority. It was evident that they became more conscious.
Some notorious examples of student protests on campus include the 1964 UC Berkeley police-student confrontation regarding the shutdown of a strip of sidewalks known for activism. Additionally, there was the Ohio State peaceful protests against the “Speaker’s Rule.” Lastly, one of the most memorable, the Kent State shooting, where police reactions got out of control, killing and wounding many students.
Due to this, I have found myself in the Hillary Clinton campaign rally in Curtis Hixon Park and voting for the first time in the 2016 election. My friends, fellow classmates and I have become more vocal, almost over night, regarding controversial issues. Whether it is through social media, marches and protests, or traditional forms of democratic participation such as voting.
The late 60s saw the end of the Vietnam War, massive leaps in civil rights for disenfranchised women as well as people of color and major reforms to how administrative figures in the United States are held accountable.
Today, students are voicing their opinions on policies and issues like many did before them. Beginning with the Trump administration, other movements such as the struggle against sexual assault and the #Metoo movement have also become prominent. The Women’s March, LGBTQ+ rights, gun control, the #NeverAgain movement and the Black Lives Matter movement have also been in the spotlight.
There is a post circulating on Facebook that I like to share every once in a while. It is a meme of a school boy asking another classmate,“What is the difference between ignorance and apathy?” The classmate answered, “Don’t know, don’t care.” The post explained that individuals who say they are ‘staying out of politics’ or are ‘sick of politics’ are privileged.There are specific societal privileges that come from wealth, race, gender, sexual orientation and age. These privileges allow individuals to live a life where getting political and “fighting” against issues directly affect them.
As a student studying in an American institution, I have found myself in an environment where most students are not blinded by privilege. Students are trying to make a change by getting involved, having discussions, talking about politics and staying active through voting and protesting.
Unlike the 60s, students today have much more freedom to express their views. Universities are huge hubs of debate, where new ideas and activism are welcomed. ShkurtiandSteigerwald explain that when a bunch of young people come together who believe in things, they want to learn and express themselves, it can lead to change.
Even with relatively cleared paths, there is still a population that remains apathetic of what is going around them politically, economically and socially. More concerningly, outside of our school walls, I have found that there are many Americans that don’t believe in students when we are speaking because they think we aren’t serious. They look at us and think ‘it’s just those kids again.’ We might be young, but that’s not the point. We are serious, we have grit and we have passion because we truly believe that if we can bring people together like in the 60s, we can make a change.
This article can be found in University of Tampa Student Newspaper: The Minaret.
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