Many of those involved said they wanted to change perceptions of minority students and demonstrate the intensity of student concern. The event was organized by students in minority scholars programs at 11 of Montgomery County’s 25 high schools.
Hundreds of Montgomery County students marched more than a mile through Rockville on Sunday in a call to close the achievement gap that has left black and Hispanic students in the high-performing district trailing their white and Asian peers on measures of academic success.
The spirited march, which started at the school system’s headquarters, ended at the pillared entrance to Montgomery County’s old district courthouse, where throngs of teenagers and their supporters spoke out about an academic divide that has persisted for years.
“This is truly a historical moment,” said Jorge Sanchez, 17, one of the organizers, addressing a cheering crowd of more than 400, after a 1.1-mile procession on a sunlit afternoon. Passing cars honked in support. Students chanted and waved handmade posters, and most wore black T-shirts reading “United Are We.”
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