Natalie Ladd / Contributing Writer / Attending a Protest for Palestine

Ceasefire now – Not in our names – No more weapons, no more war, ceasefires what we’re
calling for – Let Gaza live – Never again for anyone

These are some of the chants that could be heard if you were near the National Mall on Wednesday, Oct. 18. 

A few of us from the Washington Community Scholars’ Center house attended the ceasefire protest that took place on the mall near the Capitol building, and later marched to the
Capitol. The protest was organized by Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow. 

There were many people there; it was mostly American Jews there to show that they were
not in support of what Israel has been doing to Palestinians. They told us this was the largest-ever Jewish protest in solidarity with Palestinians. 

It was my first time in a space like that with that many people coming together to protest something together. Before coming to DC, I wondered if I would get the chance to go to protests or marches, so this was a really cool experience.
I learned a lot by  attending the protest and hearing from the speakers that came to share. Before going to the protest I was aware of what was happening but didn’t realize the extent of the
violence. Two congress representatives came to speak, Rashida Tlaib and
Cori Bush. Both of them have been trying to get Congress to support the ceasefire. They
are calling for an immediate ceasefire and a de-escalation of the violence. They also want
humanitarian aid to be sent to Gaza to try and save people there. We heard many people share
stories of family members they know in that area. I realized how small the area of Gaza
actually is as I heard them sharing about the genocide that was happening there.

Nardos Haile / Contributing Writer / Navigating Growth and Advocacy in the Nation’s Capital

Washington, D.C. has provided me with the space to grow and flourish in a way that allows me to strive towards the journey of becoming my best self. 

Although a lot of my time has been spent at my internship, through the work I do there as well as my experiences while in D.C., I have been able to discover the significance of critical consciousness and my call to advocate for change. 

While at a social work conference I recently attended, I came across the concept of critical consciousness, which entails identifying and evaluating the inequalities ingrained in society. It serves as the catalyst for someone to become committed to activism and social change, which is something I strive to do. 

I had the opportunity to fully engage myself in social advocacy thanks to D.C. The city turned into a blank canvas on which I could express my beliefs. I have been able to participate in protests and marches as well as learn more about the systems that cause these cycles of oppression through my internship at Voices for a Second Chance. Through this work, I have been able to see how this place provides a stage for us to speak up and show that in addition to being the capital of the U.S., D.C. serves as a capital of change. 

Growth is not limited to a certain place or period of time. As long as you are motivated to learn and have the ability to take action, it can happen anywhere. My internship and my experiences at the D.C. protests have demonstrated to me that there are always opportunities to flourish, and every street, every corner, and every discussion has those seeds in it.

Through this journey, I’ve been shown that growth, self-care, and activism can all occur at the same time and that there are no limitations that can prevent blooming, as long as you are willing to grow as you go.