I remember during my high school graduation, which was about two years ago, everyone who spoke preached about being a productive citizen in our country. At the time I can’t say that I actually understood what that meant. I know that if a teacher or adult would ask me how I would be a productive citizen, I would throw some words together to impress them. Something like, “I want to make positive contributions to our country and community”; but what does that mean?
During the uproar of protest caused by police brutality, I finally figured out how to be a productive citizen in my community and my country. My first contribution was speaking up on Facebook when I saw anti-blackness being spewed from who I thought were family friends. My second contribution was marching for the George Floyd and Black Lives Matter protests in May of 2020 in my home state and every other protest thereafter. When the school year came around, I knew I couldn’t stop, so I continued marching. I went to the sit-in at our own Clock Tower Commons, made TikTok videos to spread awareness, posted articles and petitions on my Snapchat or Instagram, participated in the zoom meetings, and talked about the issues in class when I worked as a Peer Mentor.
When it came to finding civic engagements outside of Nazareth, I followed activist groups on Instagram and Facebook such as, SAVE ROCHESTER – Black Lives Matter (Facebook) and blacklivesmatter (Instagram). I made sure to share the word so others could join. On top of encouraging others to do their part virtually, during one week of school, my roommate and I went to march three days in a row. The engagements that I found on the grounds of school were student lead groups – BLM at Naz was one of them. This group hosted multiple community conversations, The Clock Tower Sit In, and so many other things. I am also happy to say that the students who organized this group are dear friends of mine and we were all productive citizens in our school community.
All of these engagements that I participated in were because I have a duty to myself, to my fellow students, and to the world to fight for the injustice that I have witnessed and was a victim of. As a black woman… As Kyra Green, I owe it to myself to speak up for my people. It is never easy to get up on stage and stand in front of a crowd to tell them of your experiences as a black woman in the world because many people will invalidate it, but to be stagnant does not cause change.