Standing in solidarity: protester profiles

George Floyd’s death at the hands of police sparked many individuals across the nation to step out of their homes to demand justice for the Black lives with similar experiences to Floyd's. Josh Hurtado ’22 is one of many protesting in Iowa City.  “I decided to protest because of what happened with George Floyd, may he rest in peace as well as many others who have died due to police bruta...

The recent rise in the Black Lives Matter movement has made it the most diverse it’s ever been. From activism on social media to the aging up of social justice-driven Gen Z, more people are speaking out with Black people for equal rights. Mallika Huynh ’21 is one of those people. Since the murder of George Floyd, she’s been using her voice to combat racism and police brutality.  “Even...

Razan Hamza ’21 has been an active member in conversations regarding race throughout her time at West. As the president of Truth Squad, a club at West that addresses racial inequalities and current events, Hamza strives to target discussion surrounding topics of racial injustices and discrimination.  “I've just always found it to be really important because somebody's got to talk about it,” ...

When the opportunity arose to fight for change, former West student Mami Selemani ’20 decided to get involved. Because Selemani was unable to attend protests when she was younger, she has made it a priority to partake in the recent rallies.  “I feel like it's a really important issue. The protests are not just protesting against police brutality but protesting against racism and a bunch of ...

In recent months, the Black Lives Matter movement has become the largest movement in U.S. history with over 15 to 26 million people that have participated in nationwide protests according to Civis Analytics, a data science firm. Many of these protests have taken place in Iowa City and surrounding areas. Many high school students, such as Massa Suleiman '22 have been participating in the movement. “...

The Black Lives Matter movement has sparked nationwide activism and inspired Naeji Washington '22 to do the same. “I do not think that these protests are strictly about police brutality, I think it is about every situation in which an African American person has been put in a compromising position due to the color of their skin, so for me being a person of color, these protests mean more to m...