Photo by Keifer Russell

Words have so much power in them. They can build someone up, or break them down. Silence carries the same capacity. In some ways, silence has ten times the power of words and can leave a lasting impact or make the outcome worse. Whatever the outcome, silence or words would have the possibility to change that. 

Words are used to express strong emotions and feelings and represent power and force. When they come together with other people’s words, they form an everlasting and even sometimes historical impact.

A major example is the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, which showed that the power of words truly mattered. The protests started after the murder of George Floyd in May 2020. He was killed by police in Minneapolis after being accused of a crime that he did not commit. This sparked nationwide protests with over 26 million people participating.

Eventually, the cop who killed Floyd was pardoned from his job and then he was arrested for first-degree murder. Despite these protests not being able to bring Floyd back, they made a difference in the future of police brutality and racism and it isn’t over yet. 

Sometimes, a big protest isn’t even needed. Silence can take the form of small actions that speak volumes. The act of silence can speak louder than words itself. 

A prominent example is when Rosa Parks refused to get up from the front of the bus for a white person. Her small action led to a massive change. She got arrested upon exiting the bus, but her action led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott until the rule was lifted. 

In this case, there was no massive protest or march around the city to make a change. The silence in the action spoke volumes. The boycott showed that despite people being wronged, they will not stop fighting for their rights. Silence means to focus on the actions and those actions showed how there didn’t need to be a massive protest to make a change.

In some cases, like sticking up for someone who was falsely accused, it does make sense to advocate for them and use our voices. To show support, we have to stand our ground and hold people up when they feel like they’re being attacked. 

During the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese had their own silent protest. They were forced to follow the rules of a zero COVID-19 strategy in which they experienced workplace shutdowns, being tracked through their phones and mandatory daily testing. While these were to prevent COVID-19 cases from arising, this was a violation of freedom for the Chinese. Additionally, it has pushed many into joblessness and poverty.

It is very common for schools in the United States to hold a moment of silence before the pledge of allegiance. The purpose of this is to respect everyone’s beliefs and give them a moment to reflect however they do. It’s a form of self encouragement and strength.

In turn, they had white paper protests. These protests could either be a regular protest or even a silent protest. Protesters would hold a blank, white sheet of paper and walk in a group to fight for their freedom being taken away.

The act itself speaks volumes. It allows heads to turn and really make people question why they need to protest. It makes other people feel uncomfortable as they begin to understand what the protest is for.

When we experience something unfair, actions through silence show that we are stronger and that we can grow from that experience. When people grow together in silence, it speaks volumes and shows their strength when they come together. 

It’s up to us to decide whether we want to use words or silence to spark a change. Both can make a big impact and what matters is when they are true to our terms. Protests and silence can determine the future, but in the end, it’s all up to you to truly make an impact on yourself, those around you and the world. Both words and silence are forms of action and they can cause a change in the future for the better. Without change, the same misfortunes and unfairness would occur. That change starts with us.