#BlackGirlMagic Results in Chicago’s Massive Sit-In Protest

(Left to right) Sophia Byrd, Eva Lewis, Natalie Braye and Maxine Wint

With everything happening in the world today, it’s easy to feel helpless and lose hope for the future. While I know it’s going to take some time for our society to heal, I’m finding comfort in the constant reminders of goodness in the world. Did you know that four Black teenage girls were behind last week’s massive sit-in protest in Chicago’s Millennium Park? The sit-in was followed by a peaceful march to protest gun violence and police brutality in the city.

The event to “break the divide between communities, and bring youth from all areas of Chicago in solidarity with Black Lives Matter,” drew over 1,000 people and quickly captured attention from local and national media. And to think, it all started with a single tweet. When asked if her family supports her activism, Eva stated:

“Oh yeah. I learned everything I know from them. And my grandfather, too—he just passed away. He was the first person to teach me that my gender didn’t matter, that I shouldn’t be ashamed of my gender at all. He empowered me. He taught me about the system young, about racism. [My family] taught me that I should never think I am less than, I just have to work harder to be recognized for my work.”

Click here to read more about why Eva and her friends decided to take action on chicagomag.com.