Chantilly High Student Organizes Protest Against Racial Injustice

CHANTILLY, VA — Northern Virginia has become a hotbed of protests against racial injustice, with young people serving as the lead organizers of many of the demonstrations. On Sunday afternoon, a Chantilly High School student who just finished her freshman year organized a protest march that attracted more than 200 people.

With assistance from classmates, Victoria Felder used her organizing skills to attract a diverse crowd of young people, black and white, their parents and concerned Fairfax County residents to express their solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and call for greater accountability of police departments.

After about 20 minutes of speeches at the Chantilly branch of the Fairfax County Public Library system, Victoria led a march to Route 50 (Lee Jackson Memorial Highway) where participants then headed east until they reached the Greenbriar Town Center shopping area. The march wended through the shopping area before making its way back to the sidewalk along Route 50.

Protesters chanted the names of George Floyd and other black people who have died while stopped by the police or in police custody. Another phrase growing in popularity across the country, "defund the police," was chanted during the march.

As the march headed back to the library, motorists honked their horns in support of the marchers, who held signs that read "I can't breathe," "end police brutality," and "end white silence."

Victoria kicked off the event with a speech about how government officials and institutions as well as individuals need to treat everyone compassionately no matter the color of their skin. Why can't the U.S. work together as "one big community?" she asked.

"Coming here today, you are making that change to make America become one step closer to being exactly like a community that all works together as one big family," Victoria said.

At the rally, Victoria invited her father, Mark Felder, to give a speech. In his remarks, Felder talked about how Victoria started organizing the protest only a week ago. "When Tori mentioned that she wanted to pull this off, of course, being a dad, I said, 'Hey, I'd like to have a piece.' I had to get her permission," Felder said. "So, thank you, Tori, for allowing me to get up and speak here."

Felder recalled his teenage years when he listened to music by N.W.A. and Ice Cube's solo work, including a song called "Endangered Species" that reflected on the brutal way in which police treat young black men. The song remains as relevant today as it did when it came out in 1990, he said.

"In the sense of preservation, why don't we consider doing some of that now? Why don't we consider taking steps [and] using our collective voice to encourage and to somewhat force our leaders, law enforcement officers to change?" Felder said. "We're really blessed to have the passion and the zeal of a lot of our young people who we have seen for the last three weeks across the country like Tori and her friends."

Since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, thousands of people have been gathering across Fairfax County to protest the killing of black people by police. On Saturday, alumni of South County High School organized a protest against racial injustice that attracted hundreds of people to the Lorton school. A week earlier, hundreds of mostly young people gathered in Centreville in a rainstorm to express their opposition to police brutality and call for major changes to how the nation polices its communities.

Many families showed up at the Chantilly march, with parents joining their children in denouncing racism and police brutality.

David and Constance Reaves and their daughter Alexandra, who will be a senior at Chantilly High School in the fall, attended the march largely because it was taking place in their community of Chantilly and they wanted to be present. Alexandra said she has experienced racism during her years at the Fairfax County school.

"It's challenging and disappointing" that racial injustice still exists in institutions across the country, David Reaves told Patch. "But at the same time, events like this and what's happening globally certainly are shining a bright light on a conversation that's long overdue not only in K-12 education but in Corporate America."

RELATED:

• South County High Alumni Lead March Against Racial Injustice
• Hundreds Line Streets Of Centreville To Protest Police Violence
• Peaceful Protesters Rally Against Police Violence In Fairfax