Silence is Compliance

I never thought of myself as a political person. I wrongfully believed that someone like me—a young, Black Latina with no social capital, no connections, and no higher education—had no place in politics. It felt like a conversation I didn’t deserve to be a part of, a table where I had no rightful seat.  

That changed the day a dear friend introduced me to the power of civic engagement.  Suddenly, I realized that politics isn’t just about policies; it’s about people, communities, and the future we shape. And if young people like me stay silent, we give others the power to decide our future for us.  

That realization stuck with me, especially as I watch what the United States is becoming and reflect on what could have been. Our nation—once a beacon of hope and opportunity—is now crumbling under the weight of its own contradictions. The very principles we claim to stand for—freedom, justice, and equality—are being mocked by those in power. And in the most unfortunate way possible, young people will be the ones inheriting this broken system.  

What if I told you that by staying silent, we are handing over our power to those we do not represent us? What if I told you that by using your voice, you can influence—perhaps even dictate—the trajectory of your future?  

Politics is happening all around us, whether we engage or not. Our very existence is political. So why do so many of us choose to stay on the sidelines?  

Look around you. Mass deportation and criminalization of immigrants, war and famine, the blatant attacks on the LGBTQIA+ community and other marginalized groups, and the relentless battle for women’s reproductive rights. Silence in the face of these injustices is not neutrality, it is compliance. By staying silent, we allow these issues to persist and worsen. We become complicit in the systems that oppress and silence the most vulnerable among us. These are not new fights. They have been fought—and are still being fought—by people who have felt just as helpless as we do now. Some battles have been lost. Some battles are still being fought. But most importantly, some battles have been won.  

We cannot afford to disengage. We must use the power of our voices to continue winning battles.

Young people, do what you must. Yell. Shout. Speak, even if your voice cracks, even if there is a knot in your throat. Speak with passion. Make your voice heard.  

But whatever you do, remember your purpose and your morals. Never stoop to the level of the oppressor.  

I, too, still struggle. I fear for what the fate of America and its people will be. But I live with the hope that America—as it always has amidst grand turmoil—will rise again. That its people will remember what empathy is, and that its presence will never fade.  

Young people, I urge you: recognize that an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us. We are more connected than what meets the surface. There is power in resistance, in refusing to comply with oppression, and in daring to demand a better future. The question is, will we rise together?