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Life after the Women’s March by Aral Market On January 21, 2017, almost half a million people marched through Washington, D.C. in a protest for equal rights. Weeks later, students are continuing to further the movement inspired by the Women’s March. The Women’s March organization took advantage of its success to create the 10 Actions in 100 Days Campaign, urging all the protesters to continue trying to spark change. The first of these actions was to write postcards to local legislators. The second was to gather with friends in a “Next Up Huddle” to set goals and discuss steps toward achieving them. Freshmen Lydia Levy and Isabelle Young are two leaders of a group of students participating in this campaign. Young organized a lunchtime postcard-writing session where students wrote to
legislators, including Maryland governor Larry Hogan and the Rockville City Council. For the two of them, the next step is creating a political activism club at RM. “One of the things we’re really interested in getting done is making Rockville a sanctuary city,” Young described. “[The club is] trying to partner with [the] National Organization for Women, so donating to them and adopting some of their political ideals,” she said. Another member, freshman Samarth Nayak, said “I think more people are realizing that there’s still more to be done, and that’s why this club was being made.” Sophomore Keira DiGaetano is also participating in the 10 Actions campaign. She explained how she and her mom wrote to senators, specifically speaking out against Betsy DeVos’ nomination for Education Secretary. She also worked to get her peers involved in activism. “There was a Paul
PHOTO COURTESY OF VICTORIA PRIESTER
More than 470,000 women, men and children attended the Women’s March on Washington in January. Ryan survey… you could call “[I want to] make our school her efforts. “I will know hundreds them and give your opinion on community feel welcome at least of people that are affected, even the Affordable Care Act, so I tried and know that we’re a sanctuary if I’m not personally affected, to get a lot of people to do that,” here, and you can be whoever you by the actions of Trump’s DiGaetano said. want,” Langsam said. administration.” she said. Students like senior Samara Langsam explained that, All the protesters agree that Langsam have been trying to send as somebody who would be it is important to keep trying to messages beyond the Women’s personally affected by some of make their voices heard. “We March campaign. Langsam Trump’s plans, she feels it is even just need to keep putting in an mentioned how she and some more important for her to speak effort, otherwise nothing’s going other seniors are trying to find a out. to happen,” DiGaetano said. way to show the school that RM is Similarly, Young cited RM’s Langsam remarked, “Now is our a safe environment for everybody. diversity as a driving force behind time to be a part of that.”
Black History Month inspires remembrance by MJ Estwick, Daisy Grant and Maureen Zeufack An evolution of the original Negro History Week, African American history month was created in 1976 by President Gerald R. Ford as a dedicated time to highlight important and
influential African Americans and black people who have contributed to American and world history. In Ford’s words, “[The month is to] honor the toooften neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” The month of February was chosen to honor 19th-century
abolitionist Frederick Douglass and President Abraham Lincoln, who shared both a close relationship and a birth month. “The purpose of Black History Month is to remember the contribution of black people to America in technology, academia, medicine, literature, science… in a way that is not recognized by the public for the other 11 months and
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCPS
The annual HBCU fair on February 17 taught students about historically black educational institutions.
Inside The Tide...
that most are ignorant to,” senior Camara Aaron, co-founder of RM’s Diverse Voices, explained. Counselor Austin-Drake James agrees, adding, “[African American history] is very significant to America, and what we are. The creator of the Model T car was African American… the light bulb blueprints came from an African American… things that they don’t highlight but we use every single day.” Despite the positive reactions to the month in general, some believe that more should be done. “In my household we don’t just… wait for February 1 to reflect back on the people who have made contributions to the United States and to the world globally,” Antoinette Phillips, resource counselor, explained. Aaron added, “I think designating one month is better than nothing, but one month is a tad reductive, because it’s almost a national copout.” There are a variety of ways that the sentiments of Black History Month can be continued
throughout the year. Mr. James said, “I think it can be just a lot more recognition in terms of what our contribution is… black people… are also engineers and astrophysicists and inventors and creators and writers; we’ve done a lot and influenced tons of parts of society. I think that should be highlighted more so that people can understand that there’s more to us than just what the media might portray.” Aaron believes that there is progress to be made in terms of education. “Incorporating black people into U.S. history and government curricula would be a good start. Black people aren’t given their fair due in those courses, which is the case for a lot of marginalized peoples. The way we are taught, you would assume that black people’s contribution to the U.S. is only from their labor or by their commodification. But black people have been contributing to the very essence of American culture through arts and sciences from the beginning. We should acknowledge that.”
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