Late last month North High Principal Mauri Friestleben announced she’d been put on leave by the superintendent because she had participated in a student protest over the death of Amir Locke. North High student Deshaun Hill was shot and killed on his way home after participating in that same protest. Principal Friestleben was quickly reinstated after a public outcry criticizing the decision.
Sophomore Taylor Butler says her principal supports the students every step of the way.
“Yeah Minneapolis Public Schools, y’all bogus for what yall did to my principal,” said Taylor. “One thing about our principal - whenever we make the decision as students she’s all for our plan and she supports us in any way she can.”
Taylor says the students organized the protest for Amir Locke because they were upset about another tragic death of a black man at the hands of Minneapolis police.
“A lot of us were nervous for our future like dang am I gonna be next?” she said. “So I was was numb to it but then I was also angry because of course another black man was murdered in the streets well not even in the streets but in the comfort of his own home so I was like angry because like not another one.
Butler says the protest was peaceful.
“We got on the bus to city hall and we did cheers and chants and then we went into the city hall building and then we did 10 minutes of silence and then we gave everybody a chance to speak their peace.”
Taylor Butler says students need to keep protesting, making sure their voices are heard.
“My mom always says the young people have the power to change the world right now,” she said.
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