More than a hundred people gathered at an elementary school on Friday in Madera to protest police brutality in the wake of George Floyd’s death. The people behind the protest were black high school students.
Eighteen-year-old Mary Idowu led the protest which started with a “No Justice, No Peace” chant. A recent graduate of Madera South High School, Idowu said it’s important for society to see a well-organized peaceful protest from young people.
“It doesn’t matter how young we are, we still have a voice. Our opinion matters and sometimes we just need to be heard,” said Idowu. “We’re always hearing ‘the youth is the future generation.’ If we’re the future generation then listen to us sometimes. Ask us how we feel.”
Madera South High School student Jeremiah Goodman also organized the protest. He said he’s tired of seeing black people murdered by police officers without any major societal changes.
“We’re here to let people know that we need to continue applying pressure and get a reform in this system that’s oppressing us,” said Goodman.
The protest included several speeches from Madera community members and officials. Idowu and Goodman worked with Madera Unified School District officials and the Madera Police Department to ensure the protest ran smoothly.
