Protesters throughout the country took to the streets over the weekend to voice opposition to the recent killings of two unarmed black men by white police officers, and the lack of indictments that followed in both cases. In Boston, about 1,000 people marched on Saturday, while hundreds participated in other local demonstrations on Sunday.
Although this is certainly not the first time the country has seen protests in response to police targeting of minorities, experts say the movement that has gained steam in recent months is fueled — more so than movements past it — by young people.
"What I've been most struck by is the young people who are participating ... I think it's remarkable," said Leah Wright Rigueur, who teaches the course "Race, Riot, and Backlash in the United States" at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
She says that young people, "many of whom have not been politically active before," are getting involved in the movement in ways not previously seen.
"[Over the weekend] young people from the communities that are actually most affected were getting up on stage, they were rallying people, bringing people out ... I think that is tremendous," she said.
You can listen to the full interview with Leah Wright Rigueur above.
