It’s bitterly cold here in Minneapolis. This week, the temperature has dropped to -17 degrees, not counting the wind-chill. Going outside is out of the question; you’d freeze to death.
These frigid conditions brought back memories of my senior year in high school—the first time I felt the need to protest an injustice.
It was January, and the temperature was plummeting. On my walk to the bus stop that morning, I bundled up as much as I could. Fuzzy hat, scarf wrapped around my face, big mittens, and warm boots.
There was just one problem: I was wearing a miniskirt, and my legs were freezing. To stay warm until the bus arrived, I squatted down and wrapped my warm winter coat around them. It felt like it took forever.
So why was I wearing a miniskirt? At that time, wearing skirts that were 6-8 inches above the knee was trendy.
But the bigger reason was this. When I grew up, girls were required to wear dresses or skirts to school. Across the country, it was viewed as proper attire for young women.
As I huddled down in the snowbanks, I decided I’d had enough. It was time to protest this clearly outdated dress code, which was insane for Minnesota winters.
I spoke with a few friends about my idea, and they agreed it was time to take action. In the days that followed, we secretly organized the senior girls for a major protest. On the upcoming Monday, we’d all come to school wearing PANTS. (Yes, it was the sign of a true rebel!)
I could hardly wait to get to school that morning and walk down the halls in my nice slacks surrounded by the other senior girls dressed the same way.
Imagine my surprise when only three of us showed in pants.
Within a short time, I was called into the Vice Principal’s office. He told me how disappointed he was that a Student Council officer would break the rules like that.
My punishment? Three days of after-school suspension. I had to sit in a room with the other “bad kids” and do my homework for an hour.
It was worth it. The following year, the dress code was changed. Girls could finally wear pants to school.
More importantly to me, it was about speaking out. When things aren’t right, we have to do something. Hope isn’t enough, but it does act as the driving force behind our actions.
Why? Because so much more is possible.