Education

Students Rally On Capitol Hill For Education Protection

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By Rosaland Tyler
Associate Editor
New Journal and Guide

Tylik McMillan

A day before millions attended “No King” rallies which were held nationwide on March 28, the NAACP and the United States Students Association (USSA) led a mass march and rally on March 27 on Capitol Hill.

It was held to advocate for the protection of public education, student aid programs, and civil rights enforcement in schools.

The NAACP and USSA rally attracted hundreds of students, educators, and advocates from 39 universities who had attended the annual meeting for the United States Students Association’s (USSA) LegCon26. Following the rally, participants met with elected officials in both the House and Senate, according to an NAACP press release.

“As director of NAACP Youth & College, I’ve seen our students lead with clarity and courage, sharing firsthand how threats to the Pell Grant and weakened civil rights protections impact their education,” Tylik McMillan, national director of the NAACP Youth and College Division, said in a recent statement.

“Our students deserve investment, not cuts,” McMillan said. “We should be funding education, not wars because their futures, and the future of this nation, depend on it.”

While the annual conference included discussions about increasing federal funding for community colleges, protecting undocumented student rights, and expanding SNAP benefits for students, the march aimed to showcase challenges that Black students are facing.

In an Instagram post that shows educators and students marching at the USSA march and rally, the organization said, “Today, we took our voices to the Capitol. Students showed up, stood together, and made it clear: education is a right, not a privilege. This is what advocacy looks like. This is what student power looks like.”

The NAACP said in a recent statement, “During this critical moment, the NAACP Youth and College Division is reestablishing our resounding call for progress to be made to bridge the gaps of inequity so every child in America has equitable access to education.”