Simi Valley Teen Organizes BLM Protest by Herself

Another bright spot in our world today is the awe-inspiring courage of 18-year-old Mikiiya Foster of Simi Valley. What started as a not entirely serious suggestion to her friend that they hold a Black Lives Matter protest of their own, turned into a gathering of over 2000 people.

While some residents of Simi Valley had their doubts about the peacefulness of the protest, including one of the city's elected officials, who even asked Foster to cancel it, Foster stood strong and didn’t back down. On the day of, thousands of people filled the streets for turnout she never expected. She was amazed at the support given she had faced considerable backlash. After the success of this first protest, Foster was inspired to continue and plan a second protest for Juneteenth. 

It is the courage and spirit of people like Mikiiya Foster that remind us to stay true to ourselves, and always stand up for what’s right. You rock Mikiiya!

Photo courtesy of Leslie Foster