More Faces Behind Protests

If you have been watching the news coverage of the protests taking place in place in Ferguson, or even now in New York, who is it you see often see interviewed or photographed? Most of the time, it is men at the front of the scene; they tend to have louder voices or higher hands in the air and are ready to use them to express their opinions to the world. But it’s important to realize that there are also women that are trying to make their voices heard as well, though they may not get the most of the spotlight. 

We have to remember that women have played a prominentrole in organizing many of these important, history writing protests. Women of color are reaching out to tell their personal stories and attempt to change their society. These female activists are not only struggling with the issue of race but are also attempting to tear down the gender barrier that often prevents them from being listened to. It’s not just men making history here, and these women might even have much more to say about these issues. Refusing to be silenced, these women have “elbowed to the front of protest lines.” They have refused to back down and others have started “organizing their own demonstrations,” taking to the streets in the days after Michael Brown’sshooting and now after the non-indictment of Darren Wilson.

“We're in a century where women are no longer satisfied to have their leadership channeled through someone else,” said Traci Blackmon, a pastor in the Ferguson-adjoining city of Florissant, in and LA times article. “When it comes to being a black woman, you deal with the oppression of both race and gender. I'm standing for all of black lives,” said Brianna Richardson in the same article. Kayla Reed, a pharmacy technician from University City, said “there's actually more women than men. A lot of times you'll see women on the bullhorn -- we're not just coming in after the fact, cleaning up, making sandwiches.” So, although the news coverage tends to only show the men with the loudest voices, we should make sure that they are not the only ones being heard. After all, the history and potential changes in the making are not only being constructed my men, but by brave women willing to stand up for what is right.