In a speech titled The Other America, Dr. Martin Luther King warned the United States, saying,
“I think America must see that riots do not develop out of thin air. Certain conditions continue to exist in our society, which must be condemned as vigorously as we condemn riots. But in the final analysis, a riot is the language of the unheard.”
Today, the French government is reckoning with the reality that the riots on French streets didn’t develop out of thin air. They grew out of austerity and precarity… and the youth are leading the charge and causing the havoc.
This isn’t to say the riots are the “go-to” method for settling grievances. But riots like what’s happening in France will get the government’s attention. Riots are the language of the unheard, and many high schoolers feel unheard. Their school buildings are dilapidated, understaffed, and under-resourced, especially in low-income areas. According to the Associated Press:
“Some students also complain that during summer heat waves, they roast in classrooms without air-conditioning, while in winter they freeze. They say school days, which often run from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., are too exhausting and the university entrance system is complex and unfair. Some university students have also joined the protests.”
The crazy (not so crazy) thing is these schools sound like many schools in the United States, particularly in low-income neighborhoods where Black children live. Black students also deal with old buildings, the lack of (Black) teachers, downsizing, school closures, and uncertified classrooms. Would it be crazy for Black students, or American students in general, to march in the streets to protest the conditions in their schools? The more important question is what we (parents, educators, and advocates) would do if they did. What would we do?
Would we march with them in support, or encourage them not to? Would we punish them to prevent protest activities before the authorities, or would we put our freedom on the line with them, and even for them? Would we conspire against them or with them? These are tough questions to consider. Any of us could make a decision that costs us our careers or our credibility with our children. These are important questions for us to consider. Why? Because our children need to know whether we’re on their side. As parents and guardians, I sincerely believe we love our children and want the best for them. Sometimes the best for them, and for us, means they don’t start any good trouble. What should we do? If our children want to protest the injustice they see in their education spaces, what should we do?
I have the answer.
The answer is to advocate for our children and demand that the government rise to the occasion and address our schools’ challenges before our youth have to demand it in the streets… like the students in France. We should do this regardless of how our youth feel, because our children deserve schools with resources that prepare them for the future while affirming who they are today.
Let our own history guide us now. Young people led the Civil Rights Movement. They marched, sat at counters, formed organizations, and did all of this because they were tired of being oppressed. For some, they protested against the wishes of their parents and guardians. But many protested with the support of their parents and guardians, as well as the wider community. Thankfully, that tradition of support continues today in Philadelphia.
Young people in the city have already begun to rise up against the lack of progress in their education and the circumstances surrounding it, specifically the closure of city schools, which has the harmful effect of derailing the education of Black students. We think of Black students protesting injustice in the world, like the unjust murder of Nolan Wells. We don’t often consider Black children protesting in the name of a better education, but they have, and they do.
In January of this year, Black students protested the closure of public schools in Philadelphia. Parents and other community stakeholders stood with them, understanding the importance of doing so. Black students continued protesting in March, May, and again in July, with parents and community members. It seems that for Philadelphia, many Black parents and families have answered the earlier posed questions, saying that they choose to conspire with their students. That is the right answer. Because our students need to be heard by someone. Thankfully, their families and communities hear them.
However, we must be mindful that lip service followed by inaction may yield unrest. We, the adults in the room, must be aware of this, and it is sobering to think that unrest can turn a protest into a riot. Sadly, riots have befallen our communities before. While I don’t advocate for the destruction of one’s community, I advocate even harder that government and corporations not destroy Black communities, although they have throughout history. And historically, when Black people have felt captive and exploited in their own communities, one event can light the spark that lights up the night.
Therefore, we must do as Dr. King did; after labeling the riot as the language of the oppressed, he got to the heart of the matter, asking:
“And what is it that America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the plight of the Negro poor has worsened over the last few years. It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice, equality, and humanity. And so in a real sense our nation’s summers of riots are caused by our nation’s winters of delay. And as long as America postpones justice, we stand in the position of having these recurrences of violence and riots over and over again. Social justice and progress are the absolute guarantors of riot prevention.”
If Americans want to prevent what’s happening in France from happening on America’s streets, make social justice and progress the goal.
