Minority youth rallied to give a voice to the voiceless
A rally aimed at giving a voice to New Hampshire’s minority youth took place over the weekend in Manchester.
MANCHESTER, NH — The churning Merrimack River at Arms Park was a dramatic backdrop on Sunday for a rally in support of youth minorities planned by New Hampshire teens.
Organizer Henna Malik, a senior at the Derryfield School in Manchester, introduced seven young speakers who were welcomed by Mayor Joyce Craig for NH Rally for Youth Minorities: Giving Voice to the Voiceless. Craig stayed for the entire rally, nodding her head sympathetically as the young people described the challenges of being “different” in New Hampshire.
Habiba Hassan, 14, a freshman at Central High School, says she has worked hard to feel at home in Manchester.
Malik related a troubling conversation in her freshman year when a fellow student asked if she intended to blow up the school.
Samrawit Silva told of a man who spat on her as she walked home from a college class in Durham. Bella Hoang described being demeaned by other students because of her given name, which is a homophone for “boy.” Crystal Xie, a Chinese exchange student, decried the generalizations made about China, and urged Americans to get to know foreign students as individuals.
YouTube Slideshow Below
