As protests continue to be the theme of the summer, international students witnessing this historic moment has created feelings of harmonious revolution in the international students community.

The summer of 2020 will be synonymous with large scale anti-racist protests in America, with these protests transcending states and borders. For the first time in the country’s history, all 50 states have protested in solidarity, demanding racial injustices be addressed, and America move towards racial equality for the African American community, following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis on the 25th of May. Protesters’ voices have been reverberated across the globe, with Organized protests having taken place in pro-democratic countries in Europe, North America, China, Africa and Australia. Joining the cry for racial injustice to end in a country which is deeply rooted in racial oppression. As these protests continue to gain traction, international students have also joined the harmonious effort to end racial injustices in the country. But as the momentum towards racial equality is maintained across the globe, international students experiencing such protests for the first time have harbored optimism.

Having grown up in South Africa, my family would tell me of tales of them protesting against the apartheid system which blighted the country’s progression. The very images described by my relatives were put into perspective, as the same protesters were fighting for the same rights my family was in South Africa. The somber feeling in the crowd was juxtaposed with optimism, that this latest act of police brutality will result in the dismantling of a system that has used black lives as pawns.  On one knee, the whole crowd kneeled to remember George Floyd, symbolizing Colin  Kaepernick’s fight against the same issue in 2016. The minute’s silence was met with warm embraces by the entire crowd. Seeing blacks, Mexicans, whites, and Asians coming together to tackle a problem that has hindered the racial progress of the country symbolize how different these protests are, as each community is helping each other in these trying times.

Many young people are expressing sorrow, grief, anger, and compassion towards Floyd’s death, which was the catalyst for global protests. “This is a moment that will define our generation. No longer will we turn a blind eye towards racial injustices that have plagued this country” said Jamal, 24, an international student from the United Kingdom, studying at UCLA. As the protests continue with impactful results, with House Democrats aiming to vote on a police reform bill, international students will remember this summer for the rest of their lives.