Article by Tacy Brown | Owl Staff
HCC Alum Danielle Frater and Tacy Brown at the 2017 Women’s March on Washington.
“I would participate in another march if it’s for a good cause because the people who are in the wrong need to be shown that not everyone is behind them.”
This is a quote from an article I wrote for Owl Magazine when I was 11 years old about the first Women’s March in 2017. Now, as an 18 year old, I look forward to marching again.
Peaceful protests have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Although I was just a baby and do not recall it, I attended my very first protest in support of breastfeeding in public with my mom. At this age, I could not comprehend the change that united voices could bring. However, when I attended the 2017 Women’s March held after Trump’s inauguration, I was old enough to understand and appreciate the power we hold as people.
Throughout history, peaceful protests have served as a cornerstone of change, proving that pacifism is not a weakness, but a strength. It is a means for us, as ordinary people, to make extraordinary change. Through our actions and voices, we have and will continue to change history.
Drawing over 450,000 people, the 2017 Women’s March was, at the time, the largest single-day protest in U.S history.
The Civil Rights Movement in the United States was a significant part of peaceful protest and its history. Leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. inspired millions through marches, sit-ins, and speeches. During the 1963 March on Washington, King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, bringing over 250,000 people together and paving the way for the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
This act brought an end to segregation in public places and banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, or gender. Without peaceful protests, these rights might not have been achieved for decades after.
“When a unified group speaks up calmly, but firmly, voices are harder to ignore.”
These protests are still seen in modern times, such as the 2019 global climate strikes. Youth activists like Greta Thunberg have contributed to mobilizing millions of people in over 150 countries to demand climate action. The movement has placed immense pressure on governments and businesses alike to address their involvement in climate change.
In research by Erica Chenoweth, a political scientist at Harvard University, it was found that non-violent campaigns are twice as likely to achieve their goals as violent ones. Chenoweth’s study of protests from 1900-2006 revealed that non-violent resistance succeeded about 53% of the time, falling to 26% for violent efforts.
Tacy Brown, now a full-fledged member of Owl Media Staff, sits atop a stack of fencing as demonstrators continue marching onward. Take a look below at Brown’s excerpt “Why I Marched” for her first-hand account of the 2017 Women’s March.
Peaceful protest is not always so easy to achieve, requiring patience, courage, and discipline of the highest order. When a unified group speaks up calmly, but firmly, voices are harder to ignore. Governments, businesses, corporations and schools have no choice but to listen when hundreds, thousands, or even millions remain peaceful and persistent.
To those reading, know that peaceful protest is one of our most powerful tools for reshaping the world around us. Whether you march for civil rights, climate action, or against injustice, your voice carries great weight regardless of age, class, race, or any label. Your voice matters, and I encourage you to use it when the time is right.
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