Kayla is a 3rd year Marketing Major at the University of Georgia. Kayla recently organized a march to protest and advocate for criminal justice reform. Keep scrolling to learn more about the organized protest and what impact it had on her community.
What motivated you to organize the march?
“I’ve always been a person who would take initiative when I saw fit. I had the thought, “why not me?” The issues in the black lives matter movement such as police brutality affect me and people who look like me. Who better to fight for us than us? I decided to take a stand.”
When organizing your event, did you have some challenges? If so, how’d you overcome that and use it to further drive your purpose?
“A challenge I faced while organizing was making sure the police would be working for us rather than against us. I did not want to invite dozens of people to march only to end up being shut down or blocked from marching. I overcame this by reaching out to the local police department and making sure the lot we designated for parking was public and by having the officers block cars from driving so me and my protestors could take over the street way.”
What do you think its impact was on the community?
“I think this March was very impactful because we were able to get a meeting with the Georgia POST director and get invited to the next private meeting regarding policing and certifications. The Austell community met me with hate and scrutiny on Facebook so I was glad we could bring a different point of view to their side of town. It was good to protest in a place where they don’t see that often and bring a good example of what peaceful protests and civil disobedience looks like contrary to the narrative of the news.”
Do you have any advice for young/college activists who are looking to organize?
“To all my young activists, don’t ever think you don’t have the power to make a change. I’m a regular college student and dedicated my time to planning something big. Don’t give up and don’t feel like your efforts don’t really mean anything. Each and every act of rebellion and voice for justice matters. Stay motivated and be strategic.”