Dozens of Philadelphia college students walked out of their school rooms Friday protesting the 2024 presidential election outcomes and the influence President-elect Donald Trump might have on local weather change insurance policies.
Nonetheless, they mentioned, the folks have spoken.
“We aren’t making an attempt to overturn an election. We aren’t storming the Capitol, however we’re saying that our rights matter,” mentioned Clara Hensley, 17, a senior at Science Management Academy. “We’re saying that we need to have protected faculties. We need to have a future. As a result of there’s solely six years left to unravel a local weather disaster earlier than it will get too far.”
The walkout was a part of a nationwide effort organized by the Dawn Motion — an advocacy group that promotes insurance policies to gradual local weather change — and led by native scholar activists.
Younger folks in deep blue Philly have been grappling with President-elect Donald Trump’s decisive win in Pennsylvania and what it’ll imply for the following 4 years.
Aster Chau, 17, from the Academy at Palumbo organized her classmates to stroll out on Friday.
“We aren’t alone. Throughout the nation, there are different faculties who simply walked out with you and are taking motion. We’re scared for our futures, and immediately, it’s about uplifting the youth,” Chau mentioned, chatting with her associates and classmates at Metropolis Corridor. “We are going to create energy and use this second of worry, uncertainty, anger, and all of it to channel momentum.”
Chau mentioned she and her friends are trying particularly at Trump’s training insurance policies and the way they’ll influence her college.
“Our faculties are already underfunded and struggling and our extracurricular actions don’t get sufficient funding anymore,” she informed Chalkbeat.
Trump and his marketing campaign surrogates have made sweeping pledges to alter the nation’s academic programs together with dismantling the U.S. Division of Schooling, increasing college selection, rolling again some protections for LGBTQ college students, and deporting hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants.
College students on Friday informed Chalkbeat they had been strolling out of their lessons in protest of Trump’s statements about abortion and reproductive care, in addition to his immigration stances that some college students mentioned threaten their households and communities.
Although they rallied and arranged their friends forward of the election, youth voter turnout nationally was decrease in 2024 than it was in 2020 general, in line with knowledge evaluation from the Tufts College Middle for Info and Analysis on Civic Studying and Engagement (CIRCLE).
In Pennsylvania, voters ages 18-29 most well-liked Harris (54%) over Trump (45%) in line with CIRCLE knowledge.
Chau mentioned regardless of the end result, she and her friends will proceed to advocate for causes they imagine in.
“Youth will at all times construct energy, and we are going to at all times struggle for the adjustments we need to see,” Chau mentioned. “Whatever the outcomes of the election, we’re going to maintain combating, and we’re going to maintain our hopes up, as a result of that’s what’s conserving us going.”
Carly Sitrin is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Philadelphia. Contact Carly at csitrin@chalkbeat.org.
