A History of Student Action in the U.S.

Post date: Apr 05, 2018 12:55:8 PM

Published 3/2/18

By Will Fitton, '20

Young people march in protest of the Vietnam War, leading the anti-war movement. Students throughout history have created change by voicing their opinions.

Right now, thousands of students across the country are walking out of their schools, wearing orange ribbons and showing their support for not only the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students, but a movement of young people that has seemingly come out of nowhere. Calling for legislation to be passed to prevent further gun violence in schools, they are pushing the limits of what adolescents in this country are able to do. While there are some who have questioned the ability of these young students to foster actual change, it is important to realize that this is far from the first time young Americans have come together to foster social change.

In the 1960s and 70s, students played a major part in taking a stand on social issues of the day, like civil rights and the Vietnam War. In 1960, a group of Atlanta students drafted An Appeal for Human Rights, which called for an end to the unjust segregation that was so rampant at the time. Six days after its publishing, the students staged sit-ins that followed in the steps of the Greensboro sit-ins. These peaceful demonstrations by local college students were an integral part of ending segregation in the United States.

The anti-Vietnam War movement is well known for its student involvement, and protests at schools around the country helped to move public sentiment against the war effort. Especially infamous were the Kent State shootings, when 4 students were killed by National Guard members while protesting the war. There was a significant response to these shootings; hundreds of schools closed across the country due to a student strike of 4 million. The shooting of innocent students protesting US expansion into Cambodia prompted national outrage.

The recent shooting in Parkland is one that has brought national attention once again to the issue of gun violence and legislation. It’s certainly not the first time the U.S. has been talking about what we can do to prevent gun violence, but what is different is that this time, the charge seems to be led not by adults, but by students all around the nation.