During the COVID-19 pandemic, many Asian Americans were treated with hate and disrespect over and over again. It was painful to watch our city turn to hatred and not love. We wanted to be able to put our voice out there and stand up for our neighbors, friends, and community. We were able to do this by holding a rally! It was so exciting to be able to gather with others and support those around us.
To begin, we made signs reflecting the message we had to share: STOP THE HATE!
On May 1st, tons of people came out to help protest against AAPI hate. Watching so many people stand up for others in need and who are facing discrimination was such an inspiration.
"It was actually the first rally I had ever been to and it could not have be more fun; I was smiling every second," teenager Sophia Inglin explains after the event, "It was so encouraging getting to hear the honks and see the waves from our community."
"Many people showed up at the rally and it made it really fun getting to do it with my friends," Lucy, a 6th grader, describes.
"This was the first rally I've attended which was organized by kids. It was heartwarming to see the support from the community and witnessing the younger generation using their voices to speak out about what they believe in." said one parent.
Peacefully protesting is really an amazing way to make a difference. It gets the message across and helps the people facing discrimination see that they're not alone.
It was really encouraging to be able to see the difference we were capable of making. A lot of little kids showed up to help raise awareness; it made us so happy to get to see them cheering, waving, and having fun! When you take a small step to change, it influences the people around you to want to do the same.
So, if you want to stop by at a rally, host a rally, or even give us ideas for what our next rally should be supporting or fighting against, let us know. We would love to help you get involved with your community and the activism across the world.
Help us as we choose to make a difference. Give us ideas for our next rally at STOP.
You can make a difference.
Small actions, big impacts.
John 15:12
-Emi and Sophia