When I found out about this true story of brave teen activists during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, I was shocked - by the imprisonment they endured, by the racism they faced, by their bravery as they confronted it head on. The youngest girl in this story was only 11 years old when she was swept off the streets of Americus, Georgia, and into a makeshift jail. The oldest was 16.
They were kids, protesting and fighting for their lives and their futures.
In school, we're told it's important to learn history so we don't repeat the past. Unfortunately, it's clearer than ever these days that racism is systemic in America. The fight against it must continue.
If these kids could do it, so can we.
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