Using Your Voice
ELHS Protest Against School Violence
During the 2023 school year, students at East Lansing High School walked out of their classrooms to protest against “the atmosphere of violence” they claim has taken over their learning environment. One student voiced that they felt the root of the problem was students of color not getting enough support in the community. Other students spoke out against the inaction among school officials and as a result, the East Lansing mayor decided he thought it would be beneficial to host a “listening session” to address the violence and lack of action among administrators.
Online Activism
Using your voice can take many forms- both online and in-person. One way that young people can speak out on issues of concern is to participate in online forms of activism and advocacy. To do this, it’s first important to stay informed and avoid misinformation and hateful online activity, which you can learn more about here.
A very popular version of online activism today is sharing infographics and information on political and social issues through social media posts, stories, and highlights. While this form of online activism can increase awareness on issues, it also can be seen as lazy. Slacktivism is when people support a cause by performing simple measures but are not necessarily engaged or devoted to making a change. It’s important to note that while online information sharing can be beneficial, it also has its drawbacks, and people may view online activism differently.
Here are some questions to consider:
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How do we determine a course of action using social media?
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When does online activism make real change? When is it performative?
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Is performative activism still beneficial in some ways, or not? Why or why not?
Petitions
Signing online petitions is another way to be active online for a cause that you support. Websites like Change.org, openPetition, and iPetitions allow people to collect signatures from people beyond their community with the hope of making a real difference physically. For example, the Justice for George Floyd petition, which reached more than 19 million signatures, became Change.org’s biggest petition and movement in history, and helped bring attention to police brutality and led to Derek Chauvin’s arrest. Creating and signing online petitions is a great way to be involved online and contribute to changes in law and policy.
In-Person Activism
In-person activism is a great way to vocally and physically make your opinion heard. In-person activism has seen many successes, such as the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, but it is not a thing of the past. Today, you can learn more about social activism in East Lansing by looking at the news, finding a group that supports an issue you care about, and staying in contact with other activists through newsletters, meetings, and social media.
Examples
In-person activism has seen many successes, such as the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, but it is not a thing of the past. For example, the protests that occurred during the BlackLivesMatter movement helped establish changes both federally and locally. At the federal level, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which passed in 2021, introduced new forms of policing practices and law enforcement accountability. In the same year, the East Lansing City Council created the Police Oversight Commission following protests over excessive-use-of-force arrests. Both of these changes in government couldn’t have happened without the in-person activism that demanded change.
Know Your Rights
When partaking in in-person activism, it’s important to remember that you have rights. For example, the 1st Amendment protects your freedom of speech and right to assemble, but it doesn’t stop there. You have the right to mobilize in public spaces such as streets and sidewalks, as long as you are not blocking access or interfering with operations. You also have the right to photograph anything in plain view, including federal buildings and police. It’s important to remember your rights because in-person can be dangerous and lead to real consequences, so it’s best to stay safe and know you can file complaints if you believe your rights were violated.
Effective Protest
When people are upset or disagree with something that their government has done, they can channel their views and concerns into effective actions by protesting. It is important to understand the work that goes into creating a protest. Further, it is worth noting the key ingredients that make a protest effective. Successful protests are nonviolent because they can pull sympathy from an audience. However, disruptive action can sometimes result in policy concessions from a resistant audience.
How can you make a change?
Student Organization Involvement
Becoming involved in student organizations is just another one of the many ways to become involved in your community and make a change. Participating in a student organization allows you to share ideas with like-minded students who also want to see changes made in their community.
The Social Justice Club at East Lansing High School helps students and staff better understand the history of East Lansing, specifically in regards to land acknowledgement. Students in the club developed a project in honor of Native American Heritage Month in November to spread awareness and create plaques with a land acknowledgement in front of all ELPS schools. Students in the club started this project in response to many teachers not including land acknowledgements that note the tribes that ELHS schools occupy at the end of their emails. One member of the club said, “ this project is important for others to feel like their school sees them, it was kind of something that had to be done.” Members of this club met with the school boards to discuss this issue and to propose the idea of using school funds to create plaques for the school.
Students for Females in STEM is a club at East Lansing High School that hosts bi-weekly meetings for students interested in the STEM field, while promoting more female representation within the field itself. Every other Thursday, students come together and participate in various activities during their meetings such as paper airplane contests, cookie decorating and experiments with bubbles. This club gives students an opportunity to socialize with other students and meet classmates with similar interests.
ELHS Students for Environmental Action
Students for Environmental Action is a club at East Lansing High School that meets every Wednesday, hosting different activities such as nature walks, gardening events and can drives. This club provides many opportunities for students who want to help keep their local environment clean and hosts weekly recycling drives after school. This club provides a great space for students who are interested in environmental conservation, while meeting other like minded students who have similar interests.
The East Lansing Kiwanis sponsors two youth clubs that are focused on teaching young people about the responsibilities of good citizenship, community service and building future leaders. The Key Club at East Lansing High School and Circle K Club at Michigan State University both work independently, initiating community service activities throughout the school year. Both clubs participate in various projects such as volunteering at local homeless shelters, local blood drives and the Mid-Michigan Food Bank.