Vietnam to Parkland: how America's protesters are getting younger
The latest wave of US activism has been dominated by an even younger group than usual: high schoolers. But are they headed for disillusionment?
Thousands of young people have protested against gun control over the past weeks, sparking, for some, memories of youngsters protesting against the Vietnam war and contributing to the civil rights movement.
The difference is that the 2018 movement is stemming from high schools, rather than colleges.
“It’s really unusual,” said Doug McAdam, the author of Deeply Divided: Racial Politics and Social Movements in America.
“Young people are typically overrepresented among the ranks of activists, but those are almost always university students or young adults.”
In the 1960s, demonstrations and protests swept across college campuses throughout the US. Student activists were
