Walking down the halls of Norristown Area High School one is met with a rainbow of faces. There are individuals of almost every nationality represented here, with a majority of our demographic being broken down as 44.6% identifying as Black or African-American (not Hispanic), 28.36% Hispanic, 22.54% as White (not Hispanic), 1.86% Asian, and 2.4% Multiracial (PASchoolperformance.org). NAHS has always been proud of its diversity, so it comes as a surprise how quiet the students have been about President Trump.

        So far Trump has put 12 Executive Orders into action (Businessindser.com). The biggest headline of these being the “Immigration Ban,” which the Business Insider describes as “[Trump] temporarily barred people from Majority-Muslim Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen from entering the country for 90 days, and Syrians from entering until he decides otherwise” (Businessinsider.com). This action spurred thousands of Americans to protest, filling Airports all over the country with their cries of the inhumanity of it. Yet walking through the halls of Norristown, a silent bubble continues to exist, not even a whisper of Trump is heard between the chaotic shouts in the hallways. The classroom is no better. The teachers can only say so much in how their political affiliations lie, but is this really about politics? Students do not need to know who teachers voted for. They only need a voice to start the conversation. This will impact our community, this will impact our students, be the catalysts that motivates them to action. It is not a matter of politics it is a matter of humanity. There will not be growth when students are kept in the dark, as our bubble of a world is not ruptured by the adults who have a grasp on our situation. The reality of the country right now is harsh, we are a Nation divided and it is time for our students to recognize that. It is time for students to speak up.

        School Performance states that 47% of our Kindergarteners are Hispanic. It would be naive to think that with such a strong Hispanic community, that there are no illegal immigrants who get an education at our schools, or have parents who immigrated illegally. Trump signed an executive order to build a wall between America and Mexico. It does not matter if this physical wall is never built, there is already an invisible one under Trump. Slandering an entire nationality will poison the minds of susceptible adolescents. It will teach our students to turn against one another when it is time for us to stand together. Our community must support each other. There must be a discussion about the ramifications of these actions, of the attitude that Trump sustains himself on. One of bigotry, bullying, and abuse.

        Millions of women and men alike joined together at the Women’s March on Washington. Here at Norristown, Monday morning started like every other day has started. But the truth is that our Country is going through a revolution. This is what is going to be in history books. Our children will learn about this one day, just as we have learned about our parent’s and grandparent’s battles. When your child looks at you and says, “How did you help?” Do you really want your answer to be, “I didn’t,”?