Umunique Williams and Czar Sims are finally old enough to protest.
The 18-year-old women said their parents were concerned for their safety. They didn't want their daughters to join the thousands of protesters that took over the streets of downtown Atlanta on Friday night.
Williams said her desire for change was stronger than her fear.
Both women said they are happy to finally be able to march, but also feel like utilizing social media to voice their frustrations is equally as important.
Sims says the ability through social media to reach more people “than you can by standing on the streets” is empowering to young protesters.
The two women were among the thousands protesting in downtown Atlanta on Friday following a tragic 72 hours in America. After two black men were shot and killed by police officers in other cities, a peaceful protest in Dallas ended with five police officers fatally shot by sniper fire.
While the crowd of Atlanta protesters was certainly diverse in age, gender and race, it was clear that young people were at the heart of the protesting.
Mayor Kasim Reed referred to the protests as the “young people’s movement.” Radio personality Frank Ski reminded protesters that the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders were in their early 20s when they began fighting against racial injustices.
While many people praise the power of social media to disseminate information and empower the youths, protesters seem divided in how big of a role it should play in their fight for social justice.
Lee Johnston, 28, believes change won’t come from social media hashtags alone. Still, he agrees having the online platforms has given young protesters a voice and sense of empowerment.
And, while some people argue that videos of killings can desensitize viewers, he thinks tools such as Facebook Live are forcing people to take notice of an important issue.
As Philando Castile's name became a popular hashtag on social media, another hashtag was also making the rounds. Several people using the #PiedmontParkHanging hashtag believe law enforcement officials rushed to label a death in the Atlanta park a suicide. They say the KKK was seen passing out fliers in the park before the "lynching" took place. Reed said there is no evidence that this is true. The case has been referred to the FBI.
Still, 18-year-old Nia Pryor said the park death played into her decision to protest.
Also among protesters, a 21-year-old white male, Matthew Copello, sat cross-legged. The Georgia State student said marching allows him to channel his hurt in a healthy way.
Copello said the Facebook Live video of Castile dying beside his girlfriend and her daughter inspired him to protest this time, but it’s not his first time marching for change.
In 2014, he was among protesters who shut down the I-75/85 Connector. It’s unclear if he was among the crowd that tried to march onto the Downtown Connector on Friday.
When asked if he was concerned about his safety when protesting, Copello said the cause is too important to let fear inhibit him.
“No one here is scared to be a martyr for this cause,” he said.
While millennial protesters might be divided in the means, they all agree that something must be done.
And, they believe, it is up to them to change things.
What’s next?
Shannon Thompson, 28, didn’t stay out protesting late on Friday night.
She had been planning to host a social media forum at Mount Ephraim Baptist Church, the church where her stepfather runs the youth ministry, but in the wake of recent events, she’s looking forward to talking with kids about the role that social media plays in activism.
Thompson says she was pregnant with her first child, a boy, when Trayvon Martin was killed by George Zimmerman in 2012. She recalls streaming Zimmerman’s trial from her desk every day at work. Zimmerman was ultimately acquitted of second-degree murder and manslaughter.
Now, Thompson carries the burden of worrying about the safety of her husband and children, in addition to her own.
Motivated by Martin's death, she quit her corporate job, started Haute Cocoa Mommies, a podcast for black millennial mothers, and became a substitute teacher for Atlanta Public Schools.
Thompson believes “hashtags aren’t enough.” In addition to marching and tweeting, young people need to be groomed to become teachers, attorneys and councilmen that can effect change.
“I know everybody can’t just quit their jobs and go substitute for $90 a day with two kids in day care,” she said. “I just feel like it’s going to take people who have the means to change the trajectory of their lives.”
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