Throughout my high school experience, I have gained passion, experience, and leadership skills for equity, diversity, and inclusion in the Cary Academy community and beyond. While advocacy work is always a focus for me, I believe that there has never been a better time to use my passion, experience, and leadership than right now. The tension in this country on equity issues for black lives has boiled over in the past few weeks as a result of the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Aubrey, Breonna Taylor, and others at the hands of police brutality. It can be easy to run away from these issues as friction increases. However, if we don’t speak up and address the issue head on, no change will be made. That is why I chose to attend the Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Raleigh on Saturday, May 30th.

When I arrived at the rally, I was shocked to discover hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Wake County Court House. I knew that the passion for this issue was widespread, but I thought people would be deterred from attending because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The commitment to justice despite the health risk was inspiring. We chanted and listened to speakers for 45 minutes or so before starting to march the streets of downtown Raleigh. I had been to many protests and marches before, but the energy in the crowd told me that the urgency for change has increased drastically. We moved quickly across every block, stopping at symbolic buildings such as the state capitol building before continuing the march. As time passed, more people joined. I could see protesters across multiple blocks, suggesting that the crowd had grown to thousands. Cars began honking frantically as the passengers held up fists out of their car windows. I could hear helicopters flying over us, likely the news catching live footage. Sure, my legs grew tired, but my energy and passion continued to grow with every step I took. With each step, we were one step closer to justice. We were powerful, and the world was watching.

Attending that protest has continued to be my inspiration for fighting racism and using my privilege as a white male to raise the voices and experiences of the black community. Now, more than ever, their voices deserve to be heard, and I hope to continue my work not only across the country, but within the Cary Academy community to create change. Change is possible, and I encourage every member of the Cary Academy community to help play a role in making our communities equitable for black lives. Black lives matter, and my hope is to help Cary Academy and the United States reflect that statement.