Faces of Activism in Times of COVID-19

For this piece we wanted to showcase the diverse experiences of student organizers during this global pandemic. We chose to feature four organizers located in places from Kirkland, WA to New York City, NY.

~Ella Diaz

The COVID-19 pandemic canceled school across the globe, but most of the stress we as teens face is around school. I remember when the news broke that class was suspended: my English group-chat was blowing up, not because we were missing six weeks, but because our teacher posted a 20-minute in-depth video about all the work we needed to do, including over our “spring break.” I’m used to my workload, but this was outrageous. Our teacher barely acknowledged our situation, and the only stress she commented on was her own. I think my experience sums up a lot of how students feel: overwhelmed and overworked, without any real support from school. Students from underprivileged communities or navigating through mental health struggles and financial hardships are expected to perform at the same level they would be under normal circumstances. Instead of offering leniency and sympathy, educators expect us to continue working on projects and interacting with each other online. Instead of learning about what I need to be doing to protect the health of my loved ones and myself, I’m worrying over my grades and if I’ll be able to take my SAT on time to apply for college. Although high school is hard, it shouldn’t be my top concern during these unprecedented times. Modern disasters such as COVID-19 and the climate crisis show that education and community support need to be a higher priority, and nothing will change if these problems remain unaddressed.

Ella is a 16 year-old environmental activist from Portland, Oregon that works as a part of the finance team for Oregon Youth Climate Strike.

~Grace Goldstein

In September, I helped organize a global strike that brought 315,000 New Yorkers into the streets. Since then, I’ve been confidently telling friends and family that NYC was going to have a crowd of 500,000 for Earth Day 50. As Spring approached, plans began to take shape for our April 22nd march. The 23rd and 24th would be days of action — including youth-led lobbying, and civil disobedience. The logistics were coming together, flyering was in full force. Education-centered actions in schools were set to take place. Organizers across the country, and planet, were trading notes and coordinating actions.

Then, everything stopped. Earlier this month, the COVID-19 pandemic forced us all to begin practicing social distancing, and the world changed forever. For youth organizers, isolation meant months of planning going up in smoke. We couldn’t do our jobs the way we used to, not anymore. At the same time, we had to deal with our new family situations, the transition to online schooling, and an onslaught on disturbing news, forcing us to briefly put our activism on hold. For teenagers used to being “on” all the time: constantly spreading information, emailing with campaigns, and holding meetings, this was a dizzying change in the framework of our lives. A week in, it was time to start organizing again. Things look very different on this side of the pandemic.

Luckily for us, we’re the world’s leading experts (self-appointed) in using Zoom calls for absolutely everything, especially meetings. And we’ve built a tight international community that keeps us clear-headed and not overwhelmed by loneliness in isolation. As soon as social distancing set in, I was on at least a dozen meeting calls and webinars analyzing the same question: how do we mobilize people, when we can’t leave our houses? We’re used to strategies that balance on getting people out into the streets. Now, we can’t ask that of anyone, or do it ourselves. Through webinars, Twitter storms, and social media days of action, we’re taking the movement online. Fighting one crisis while keeping up awareness of another is no small task. But I can promise you one thing, from all of us in the global youth climate justice movement: we’re not going anywhere.

Grace Goldstein is the New York State Director of US Youth Climate Strike. She is a senior at Stuyvesant High School in NYC, and is going to Kenyon College in the fall.

~ Jolie Simone Barga

I remember watching the news and finding out that the new epicenter for COVID-19 was right in my neighborhood at the Life Care Center of Kirkland. Just a mile from my house. Like the rest of my community, I began following the social distancing guidelines, and went on with my daily life as normal. I thought doing so would be enough to protect myself and my family, but I soon realized that was not the case. I began feeling achy and tired on March 6th. Like many people who became sick, I thought the last thing I could have was COVID-19. I blamed my fatigue on Badminton practice and little sleep. Then, I began to have a cough but again I thought I might have a cold. By Tuesday, my temperature had spiked to 104 and it began to be hard to breathe. Because of this I had to go to the ER and here in the hospital the lack of tests and supplies was evident. I was told in the ER that due to my age and the shortage of tests; I would not be given a COVID-19 test. Instead, I had X-rays taken to find out that I had fluid within my lungs; this “confirmed” my covid-19 which had also led to pneumonia. There in the ER, a nurse told me of the shortage of masks which they explained would only last for one more week. This was in early March; it is now April and the shortage of supplies is still immense in hard hit communities. From this experience I learned the importance of social distancing and that the need for Medicare For All is clearer than ever knowing that people are being turned away for the basic care for COVID-19 that I had.

Jolie Simone Barga is a 15-year-old activist from Kirkland, Washington. She is passionate about climate justice and women’s rights.

~Olivia Smith

My school did not initially count on closing because they considered us “low risk”. Now, there is early “elders only” shopping, no school or activities, and a halt has been put on religious gatherings. It has gotten to the point where if somebody simply coughs or sneezes in public, they’ll automatically get “looks”. With COVID-19 taking the world by storm, I had to adapt to the pandemic’s effects on my daily customs. Everyone in my household has some type of medical condition, this means I am under strict quarantine. Everyday items such as toilet paper are hard to find. To continue to nurture and care for my mental health, I try to steer clear of post apocalyptic and doomsday titles at this time because they trigger very bad anxiety within me. I’ve learned to use my passions such as art and writing to keep me busy and balanced. I’ve also created a somewhat structured schedule to keep me productive.

Quarantine Routine of a Restless Student-Activist:

1. Wake up
2. Eat Breakfast
3. Virtual School Work
4. Virtual Therapy (Thursdays)
5. Eat Dinner
6. Virtual Dance Class (Mondays and Wednesdays)
7. Iowa Climate Strike Creative Director Work
8. Go to bed

While there is more virtual communication in my routine. I choose to wake up humbled and take it one day at a time. I urge people to remember to take care of themselves, stay informed, and stay safe. We will rise above these uncertain times.

Olivia Smith is a 15-year-old part time cultural/environmental activist and student She currently serves as the Creative Director for Iowa Climate Strike.