Committed to activisim

The quote which I stuck with me today was "if not us, who? if not now, when?" by John Lewis.  I really admire John Lewis, so his prominence in my mind was what made me think about the quote seriously in the first place. This quote really resonated with me because it seemed like a call to action for regular people. This has been a common theme throughout the trip to me and it has made me think about my own responsibilities to act in the name of civil rights. I've been a part of protests and civil disobedience in the past, as a participant and as a leader, and these have been some of the times when I felt most like my actions were meaningful. I have sometimes missed opportunities to be involved in activism because I would rather do something else or felt like I had too much work, but this trip has made me really regret the times I've been inactive. After this, and keeping John Lewis' call to action in mind, I know I will feel much more personally involved in activism and will take every opportunity available, making my own opportunities when I can. My experiences on this trip have definitely changed how committed I feel to activism.

Julia McAleer

12^th grade, City College