Social Justice Commons^™

Meet Me In The Rotunda: Understanding How Protest Informs Policy, Anna Foster

Antonian Scholars Honors Program

Indigenous women experience some of the highest rates of violence in the country, and few people have acknowledged this reality. Today there is little care or understanding as to why, or how we can stop this from continuing. However, indigenous communities and allies have demanded legislative action from local and national policymakers through protest. For many protest functions as an effective tool for instigating change because it signals to lawmakers: “Pay attention to this issue. Your constituents care about this.” By informing lawmakers to address legislation that either reinforces one side of an issue or discourages it, therefore directly promoting …