On November 15th, federal immigration agents rolled into Charlotte under “Operation Charlotte’s Web,” and our city changed overnight. Within the first 48 hours, officials reported about 130 arrests, and by mid-week that number climbed to roughly 370 arrests across Charlotte and nearby areas. 

Just two days after agents hit the streets, the impact on kids showed up in a big, painful number. On Monday, November 17th, more than 30,000 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools students were absent, about one in five students, nearly triple a normal day’s absence rate. Many of those empty seats belonged to Hispanic students in a district where they represent about 31% of students. 

That’s the backdrop for my conversation with the brave students leaders who helped organize the walkouts at local high schools. During our interview, they talked about a wide variety of emotions including fear and anger. For these students, the protest weren’t about skipping class. They were about showing support to their peers affected by the raid and being seen and heard.

Take a listen to this powerful conversation.