Following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the Black Lives Matter movement has received global participation. In a movement so vast, many may be puzzled when it comes to how to show support. After Floyd’s murder, students Gianna Affi and Kelsey McGinley quickly got involved with their communities to bring about tangible change.
Affi, a soon-to-be junior at Duke University focused her efforts to her hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Affi and her friend, Taylor Dodd-Owens, organized a 5k to raise funds for local black business owners.
In a Zoom-conducted interview, Affi said her reaction stems from her love for her hometown, specifically her high school, University School of Milwaukee (USM).
“The high school that I went to is a really great K-12 independent, private college preparatory school. I loved it,” Affi said. “But obviously like all institutions and organizations it had its own problems.”
Affi is Syrian, a person of color, but recognizes her privilege.
“I come from a pretty fortunate background. My parents are both doctors,” Affi said. “I can’t say that I have the same experiences as a lot of black students and other students of color had.”
Affi was an athlete and member of student-senate at USM. Affi and her siblings were all “lifers,” a term used to describe students who enroll at USM at the earliest age and graduate high school at USM. The Affis are well-known and well-liked amongst the community.
Gianna recognized her platform and the potential change she could bring about and wasted no time. The 5k she helped organize took place on the two-week anniversary of George Floyd’s death.
Over 200 people participated in the 5k, and a $9,000 donation was made.
Affi is not alone in her dedication to the Black Lives Matter movement. Students across the nation are using their platforms to bring about change.
Kelsey McGinley is an incoming junior at Stanford University. She is also a member of the rowing team.
When McGinley did not see immediate support coming from her rowing community, she took it upon herself to use her platform to combat police brutality.
McGinley completed 100 kilometers on a rowing machine, also known as an erg. With the goal to complete 100k in 12 hours, she stopped only to eat or grab a quick stretch.
Kelsey reached out to big names in the rowing community via Instagram and received reposts from a handful of organizations. Ultimately, more money was brought more money to the table.
“I wanted to erg because I could do the most of it,” McGinley said. “I wanted to see if I could bring more of the rowing community into [the movement] in a way.”
Kelsey managed to raise over $12,000 dollars, which she donated to the NAACP. With its status as a national organization, McGinley thought the NAACP would be the most compelling to donors.
The success of McGinley’s fundraiser helped engage the rowing community with the Black Lives Matter movement. She is currently writing a piece for Row2k, a popular rowing publication.
Affi and McGinley’s successes serve as an inspiration for many. College students have unique platforms with great potential for change.
“Racism is not a black problem that we need to empathize with, it’s a white problem that we need to fix,” Affi said.
Juliet Traylor 