Through the Eyes of a Fighter

By Antony Huynh

There have been many riots against racism, law, individual rights, etc., that have currently happened. But have you ever thought about what it feels like to be part of a protest? Jenna Contreras, a Yerba Buena High School senior, has had lots of experience with these protests in downtown San Jose during late May to July. That experience has left a major impact that taught her the importance of justice for people of color, inspiring her to keep doing it till this day.

She started participating in these protests thanks to the influence her older sister had on her. Throughout her time protesting, she was taught the importance of solidarity as a person of color herself, joining in BLM, immigration rights protests and such.

At the beginning of the protest, speakers would tell their stories and experiences to hype up the crowd. They talk about how they have dealt with racism and their lives as people of color, which would build up anger and sadness within the crowd, and they fuel Jenna’s aspiration to do more.

But her experiences at these protests haven’t always gone smooth. As she says, “During the recent protests though, along with being sad and angry I’ve also been afraid. I went to one where the police started throwing tear gas and shooting rubber bullets. It was very scary…” However, despite these dangerous measures, the protestors continued to persist.

These people have inspired her to continue protesting when showing that they will persist because the lives of many matter that much to them. She’s seen them showing their determination to fight for change. This helped her have a better appreciation for their effort and she aspires to continue doing it as well. Hoping that in the future the impact of these protest will change the ways of society and make the world a better place.