John Lewis’ policy of Good Trouble can help kids learn the value of protest and activism this Black History Month.
What is Good Trouble?
Popularized by late civil rights leader John Lewis, Good Trouble describes necessary actions to create meaningful change in the world.
An example of Good Trouble, as composer Jefferey Mumford describes it, are protests, marches and sit-ins. Actions that may ultimately result in you getting arrested but are for the sake of human rights.
“As I ponder the phrase “good trouble” many images with which we are familiar come to mind, such as marches, boycotts, sit-ins, speaking truth to power—identifying the unacceptable as just that: unacceptable.”
In “Good Trouble: Pioneering the Power of Protest,” Andrew Jezisek cites non-violent protest that followed in the footsteps of Montgomery Boycott as a prime example of what it means to incite Good Trouble. The protests were mainly centered in Alabama, what they state was at the time was one of the most segregated states in America, which ultimately culminated in the march on Washington in April 1963.
What Good Trouble Looks Like
Peaceful resistance and its continued power can be seen in young people today. High School students particularly have used the free speech they’re granted to protest for Black Lives Matter, gun violence, or for Palestine. For instance, students at Collingswood High School staged a walkout due to allegations of racism on their campus. Students in Katy, Texas also staged a protest in their town to combat the lack of activism in their town. The students stated that while their town was big on speaking, but not on following through.
Jeffrey Jin, one of the participants stated in regards to the town. “It’s very all talk and no do,” he said. “There’s a lot of white silence.”
Atlanta school Gwinnett High School also held their own sit-in as a result of someone driving through the parking lot wielding a confederate flag in 2016.
These forms of protest are accessible ways for students (if they wish) to take a stand against the standards that are either being set up by their school, and the society in which they live.
In a study entitled, “Students in the streets: Education and nonviolent protest,” which found evidence that protests involve educators and students are less likely to turn violent as well.
In Katt Smetts and Anja Neundorf, “Homemade citizens: The development of political interest during adolescence and young adulthood,” where the state that your early age is where your political interest begins to be peaked, a crucial factor in forming your beliefs aside from the influence of your upbringing. Those adolescent experiences striking or staging sit-ins could in turn be core to their politics.
Knowing Your Right to Raise Good Trouble
When it comes to exercising Good Trouble on the K-12 level, it’s important for them to know their rights and when they are being violated. The ACLU explains that students have a first amendment right to freedom of speech, even in the classroom. This means while certain items such as hats can be prohibited, they can’t prohibit specific messages. While your child can be punished for performing a walkout, they cannot face disproportionate punishment for performing a walk out. Schools have less authority to punish you outside of school for what you choose to post, specifically if it’s political.
“Your school has less authority to punish you for what you say on social media while off campus and outside of school hours than it has to punish you for what you say in school. If your posts are political or religious, the school will have to meet an especially high bar to justify any punishment.”
To learn more about students right to protest click below:
Students’ Rights: Speech, Walkouts, and Other Protests | American Civil Liberties Union (aclu.org)
