We are the fighters,
The cynics and realists.
We yell and scream, for the attention of our elders.
Begging them to help,
Help us save the planet,
Help us achieve equality,
Help us understand.
Understand how our world is slowly dying,
why racism still poisons society,
and how politics have destroyed our hope for humanity.
We begin our fights with reasoning and goals in mind,
and others fire back with mindless retaliations,
Attempting to justify social injustices.
How is it hard to understand?
We want peace, we want love, and we want safety,
You respond with conflict, hate, and instability.
But it will not stop us.
Not the sound of gunfire, or the chants “All Lives Matter”
They will not keep us from our goal.
And we will prevail.
After all, we are the warriors,
For this generation
And the next.
After witnessing so many young activists fight to improve our society, I was inspired to write about the perils we face. This year has been monumental in our fight against many social injustices against racism, people in politics, and humans rights awareness. While the future remains uncertain, we have proven ourselves to be stronger, more vocal, and resilient compared to prior generations. And as we continue battling for justice, we are approached by those older than us who think they can silence us.
Written by Aditi Patel and edited by Kathy Yee. Graphics created by Jasmine Nguyen.