On Friday the 13th, schools across SELA and beyond held a student walkout against ICE.
As someone who grew up in Southeast LA, seeing these walkouts happen again took me back to my own high school days at Bell High School, where we participated in the 2006 walkouts. At the time, I didn’t fully understand the weight of the issues at hand, but I knew something didn’t sit right.
Looking back, that moment activated something in me. It pushed me to pay attention, to ask questions, and to care.
So watching this new generation take that same step felt like coming full circle. Civic engagement isn’t perfect, and it doesn’t always begin with full clarity. Sometimes it starts with a feeling. Sometimes it starts with a walkout.
It was a proud moment to witness as someone from this community. More than anything, it left me with hope.
These kids are going to do great things.