PASADENA, CALIFORNIA–For many Mayfield Senior students, summer in quarantine has given them the opportunity to find ways to be activists during the recent rise of Black Lives Matter movement (BLM). From posting on social media to chalking up streets in Pasadena, Mayfield cubs have been spreading the message of the movement. 

On May 25, 2020 George Floyd, an unarmed African-American man was killed during an arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His death sparked a worldwide revival of the Black Lives Matter movement. In Pasadena, California, Mayfield Senior students did not stay silent about the importance of the social justice movement. Social media has helped many girls, like Alexi Callinicos ‘21, spread awareness by sharing graphics and resources on their Instagram stories.

“I think social media has helped me because I can spread a lot of information super quickly to other teenagers around the world”, Callinicos said, “Instagram allows you to constantly educate yourself and others.”

Social media plays a crucial role for young people to share resources that help BLM. “I have been able to share petitions and discover organizations that support the BLM movement,” said Afton Copeland-Spiegel ‘23.  Social  media is not the only way Mayfield girls have been helping the BLM movement.

Some students have been taking the message of Black Lives Matter to the streets to take part in organized protests or creating public art pieces. Lily Salazar ‘23 is part of the Midnight Muralists, a group of high school students who create large chalk murals on the streets of Pasadena at night. 

The goal for the muralists, said Salazar, is “to create a little disturbance in the more affluent communities that we live in and to get people talking and get people upset. I think that’s one of our main goals with our art.” 

Salazar said she uses her art skills to raise awareness and spread the message about Black Lives Matter. Although Salazar and the other muralists face opposition and have even had the police called to disperse their activities, they have not given up their support for the Black Lives Matter movement, and continue to recruit Midnight Muralists through social media. 

Another way students have been involved with the cause is donating money to organizations that support the BLM movement. Mia Pippert ‘21 has been taking orders to paint pants for her friends and donating the money she earns to different organizations. “I wanted to help in any way I could because some members of my family are immunocompromised so I wasn’t able to go to any of the protests or help clean up in any way”, Pippert said, “I wanted to be able to donate as much money as I could to be able to make up for that.”

Through her Instagram account @pipspants, Pippert has painted 50 orders and has donated $400 dollars to different organizations such as the George Floyd memorial fund and the World Food Program which helps fight famine in other countries. “There are always ways to help, even if you’re not outwardly protesting,” said Pippert.

Many students like Callinicos, Copeland-Spiegel, Salazar, and Pippert, have taken Mayfield’s motto, “Actions not words”, to heart and have been actively helping the Black Lives Matter movement in their own ways. By showing their support for the movement in social media and in real life, Mayfield girls have created important conversations amongst the community that they feel are critical to supporting the spread of the Black Lives Matter message.