Enough is Enough Protest
On December 10th 2021, students at Cleveland Heights High School participated in a 3 hour protest against the administrations dealings with sexual assault. The “Enough is Enough” protest was organized by Qupid Hardin, Jaylen Bellar, Jaiyonna Powell, Julianna Madlock, and Dashara Turner after another story surfaced of a sexual assault case being dismissed by the school administration. Current Heights students and Heights alumni worked together to make this happen.
At noon on December 10th, hundreds of students walked out of the school building to participate in the protest. Marching on the football field, moving towards the streets. Students stood at the sidewalks chanting “no means no”, “speaking up is not a trend”, and other powerful messages speaking against sexual assault. Students also made their own signs in protest and held them up as cars drove by.
After students had made their stand near the streets, they moved to the front steps of the school. The organizers began speaking to their cause, for the administration to revise sex education to make consent a huge part of it, for cases to be taken seriously, and to hold the offenders accountable. After a few more words from the organizers, they allowed anyone who wished to speak to come up on the stairs and take a turn on the megaphone.
So many victims and survivors of sexual assault walked up on those steps and told the crowd of people their stories. Many of them had never been able to share these things before as people had not believed them or they felt no one would. Woman after woman, men, trans women all stepped up and spoke on their experiences. The fear they still face when seeing the one who hurt them. The anger they had at the administration for blaming it on what the woman was wearing. I myself got up and spoke. I talked about how it has become a social norm for sexual assault to happen. People have come to expect it to happen. The school administration even sees one day passing as too long for anything to be done. Everyone here who has shared, everyone not able to share their stories, you are brave and strong.
Two hours of the “Enough is Enough” protest was spent with survivors sharing their stories, the pain and trauma that has been carried with them. That finally for the first time, they are being believed. Not all stories were based in the school district, however they still impacted these people. These things still left them with a scar that they will always remember getting. It was such a powerful moment to listen to everyone who shared their story. To even help friends get the courage to stand on those steps with the megaphone and speak was powerful in itself. During these speeches, the administration stood and talked amongst themselves.
When wrapping up the protest, Dashara Turner gave a speech that was so powerful and spoke to so many people that it was posted all over the internet.
“This is a war, and there will be casualties,” Dashara leads with before going into the most spread line from her entire speech.
Story continues below the video. See full speech here.
“We are the revolution. We are the warriors and soldiers of this movement. We make our mark in society today. The administration has failed us once again. So now, as warriors and the face of this next generation are taking the problems and solutions into our own hands,” Dashara shouts out to the crowd.
“We will do everything we can to help women and women just like her. Today. Tomorrow. For the rest of our lives!”
In another speech Dashara builds off of these ideas and words she already shared; “This right here, is going to be the next American Revolution. This right here, is going to be the next power to the people”.
Dashara’s closing speeches were powerful and resonated with so many people standing in the crowd. Giving more power and strength to all the people who were able to speak up, letting them know that a change is being made. The “Enough is Enough” protest was wrapped up with the announcement of another protest on December 14th. These students will continue to stand for their beliefs, and each person involved in the creation of this movement should be proud of themselves.
On December 11th the principal and superintendent sent out messages saying that there will be meetings to begin making changes. The next board meeting will discuss the “Enough is Enough” protest.
Although there is a long way to go to give those who deserve justice their peace, the “Enough is Enough” movement has already begun gaining traction. Enough is Enough. And in the words of Dashara, “We make our mark in society today”!