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Students protest Johnston CSD board members who support the 1776 Pledge

Johnston students take to protesting in response to the board members who support the 1776 Pledge.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Tensions were high Monday night at the Johnston school board meeting. Some members of the board conducted their last meeting, while new members were sworn in. 

The action of the new members is already being questioned by Johnston students. Students and parents took the street tonight to conduct a safe protest brought on by students hoping to bring change. 

The protest is in response to the 1776 Pledge that all three new members were in favor of. 

"We found out that the 1776 Commission was created after the New York Times project, the 1619 Project, and that went to explain how slavery first started in 1619 when the first slave touched American soil," said student organizer Esha Bloar. "And that's how we should teach history from that first incident. And then the 1776 Commission went to say no history actually started with the Founding Fathers signing the Declaration of Independence. "

The 1776 Pledge was created following the Black Lives Matter protests that happened in the summer of 2020  the commission itself was created by the Trump administration. When the Biden administration took office, striking down the 1776 Pledge, was one of the first actions he took.  Biden got rid of the commission on the grounds that it was racist.

"I guess I felt like I didn't have a voice at all, I really felt like there was a lack of just like representation," said student organizer Waverly Zhao. "In the district, there are only two, like teachers of color adders in the entire district. And one of them is leaving. And I felt like I was just like, not seen at all."

Multiple protesters and community members spoke at tonight's meeting with the hope that the school board members listen, but for Bloar, she hopes this makes Johnston students more comfortable with this dialogue. 

"I think at the end, just getting those candidates and the rest of the school board to denounce this pledge. And also making sure that people speak their truth, a lot of the time we're excited for some of the speakers today because people don't really speak on this a lot. You know, it's really scary to get up there and voice your experience. So I think speaking your truth is going to be something important for today."

WATCH | Johnston Parents for Equity and Anti-Racism hold walk, discuss future goals 

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