On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, young people from Central Falls spent their afternoon learning King’s principles of nonviolence. The group is heading to Washington, D.C. for the Women’s March on Washington later this week.
Trainers at Central Falls High taught the young people how to keep calm in the face of expected counter-protesters in D.C. by concentrating on a larger message.
Sixteen-year old Caroline Berdugo, a senior at Blackstone Academy in Central Falls, was among the students who took part in the training.
“When we are provoked, violence is not the way to answer back. But we need to answer in a nonviolent way because we are maintaining our focus.”
She added that taking part in the march will be empowering.
“Instead of just throwing our hands in the air,” she said, “this is an opportunity for us to be like, ‘We’re here, we’re going to stay.’”
Berdugo arrived in this country just five years ago from Colombia. Berdugo said she thinks the presidential election highlighted the issues of racism and xenophobia in the country.
“With Donald Trump being our President-elect,” said Berdugo, “these issues have been brought up to the surface and we’re able to do something about it and face them.”
The Women’s March on Washington takes place the day after the inauguration of President-Elect Donald Trump. The grassroots movement has ballooned into a major event, with more than 100,000 people expected to attend.
Organizers are planning a march in Providence, in solidarity with the larger gathering in Washington.
