Mother Of 7-Year-Old LI Girl Seen Marching, Chanting With Protesters In Viral Video Says She Wants To Teach Her She Can Make A Difference
FREEPORT, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Among all the voices heard at protests, there is one little girl's voice that's being shared around the world.
She is a Long Island first grader among the many children who are being brought to protests.
Children are marching with parents, their tiny voices among the shouts.
Among them is 7-year-old Wynta-Amor Rogers, a little girl from Uniondale whose powerful voice defies her age.
This little girl is among the #BlackLivesMattter protesters in #Merrick. More at #LIHerald tonight. pic.twitter.com/5E1rmD3KqJ
— Scott A. Brinton (@ScottBrinton1) June 3, 2020
Her mother, Lakyia Jackson, says she insisted on marching.
"She wanted to come out, she wanted to make a difference and be heard. I think that we all should encourage our kids to know what's going on with the current events," she said.
Jackson brushes off social media comments that heated protests are no place for children. She believes it's better to teach firsthand that they can make a difference.
"You want to make a difference like who?" Jackson asked her daughter.
"Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.," Wynta-Amor said.
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The notion is seconded by high school dean Sergio Argueta who brings his children to protests.
"As a father, to empower my daughters, to tell them they have a voice and a right to exercise their freedom of speech," he told CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff.
He knows they are seeing and feeling the strife anyway.
"And unless they have a critically conscious discussion with a parent who is able to talk to them about the realities of what's going on, they'll be ill-equipped to deal with the realities of the world they're inheriting," Argueta said.
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And when those protests get violent?
"Show her peaceful ones. I show her right from wrong," Jackson said.
Wynta-Amor, with all her conviction, could teach us all a little something.
"I want everybody to get together," Wynta-Amor said. "I just want everybody to be respectful, grateful."
"She said, 'Mommy, I hope we made a big difference today,'" Jackson said.