On Wednesday, May 22, 2024, Houston Ethnic Media Services hosted a conversation with representatives from the student protest movement on campuses in the Houston metropolitan area. These students openly and candidly shared their “whys” on the importance of the movement.
The conversation was moderated by Chris Johnson, co-host of Impact Houston Live KTSU 90.9 FM.
The panel consisted of the following students:
• Uyiosa Elegon, Co-Founder of Shift Press and longtime organizer. Shift Press is a media organization that helps young people move power through story sharing and journalism education.
• Ahad Adesanya, Student at the University of Houston. Adesanya is working towards his degree in computer science.
• Jade Madsoup, Photographer and Student at the University of Houston.
• Reyna Valdez, Student at the University of Houston and member of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).
The question on many people’s minds… Of all the pressing issues confronting students — from climate change to housing costs, abortion, anti-immigrant policies, the war in Ukraine – why has Gaza become the focal point?
“So, the point that I decided to get involved, my, I was a COVID freshman… my first semester, my 1st year on campus, my sophomore year and when I got to campus I really wanted to get involved in more radical organizing and at the University of Houston at the time the only real space for that was through the Students for Justice for Palestine chapter and at the time they were starting…. this was kind of the only real space for like very directly attempting to impact like the university but also like the larger world that we live in,” said Reyna Valdez.
This has been an issue that has gripped the world and by talking to these students who are involved in these world-changing protests, we can better understand what is happening.
Jade Madsoup shared, “Well, what got me into protests and actually caring about Palestine was thinking when I was a kid. You know, I used to live in Lebanon and Lebanon’s proximity to Palestine is very close. And the news in Lebanon, you know, when you, when you look at the news, it affects you every day, day to day. So, since I was a kid. I was watching what was happening in Syria, what was happening in the Arab world. And it kept me educated on the subjects. But a few years ago, a protest started up. All over again for Palestine, you know, student led protests. And now I’m in college. And you know as an Arab person as someone who’s been affected. What’s called? Directly and indirectly by the conflicts. As a Lebanese person you know. I, I can’t look away.”
Gaza’s prominence as a focal point for student activism and global attention has taken center stage due to it being a humanitarian crisis of international significance and historical context. This coupled with the widespread media coverage, and broader social justice movements has driven students and activists to advocate for change and solidarity with the people of Gaza.
