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Blair Students March in Justice For All Protest Rally

A group of Blair students joined thousands of angry protestors last Saturday, December 13 th, to
march in Washington D.C in protest of institutionalized racism. One Blair student protestor, Emily
Guthrie, said on Saturday that it is important for students to show their support because this is an issue
that affects everyone. Its not a white issue, its not an Asian issue, its not a black issue, its a people issue
and it needs to be treated as such.
Public outrage over the exoneration of police officers responsible for the deaths of Michael
Brown and Eric Garner have reached our nations youth, and it was apparent last weekend that student
protestors are fed up. While recruiting students to go to the rally during her lunch period, Blair student
protest organizer Miriam Jiffar stated that what the police is able to get away with in this country is just
ridiculous. The next day, Jiffar was seen in downtown D.C. leading a group of student protestors
chanting No justice! No peace! No racist police!while waving a flag that read Black teen. Short hair.
Am I next? When Guthrie was asked if she knew anyone who had been persecuted, she immediately
responded Of course! If you know anyone of color, then you know someone who has been persecuted.
The system is inherently racist. Students like Jiffar and Guthrie all seem to believe that something major
must be done to improve the conditions of the United States African American youth.
Another Blair student protestor, Remzi Hazboun, agrees that institutionalized racism today is a
problem that can be solved by student involvement. So far in our life there havent been enough events
where we can participate in them and that impact us directly, said Hazboun, its important for our
nations youth to address this problem because were the ones who will have deal with the consequences
of not making a change in the future.
On Saturday, students marched together with tens of thousands of Americans to the capital
building in downtown Washington D.C. Along the way, they listened to several passionate speakers,

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including the reverend Al Sharpton, and chanted We cant breathe!, the final words of Eric Garner, an
African American man who died after being choked to death by a police officer.
The comments and actions of student protestors on Saturday show that racism is still very much
alive in this nation and will continue to play an unfortunate role in politics and law enforcement until
change is made. Last Saturday, Blair students of all genders, religions, and races gathered together to fight
for that change.