Evanston No Kings Day (June 14, 2025) Speeches
- Jane Jerrard
- Jun 21
- 7 min read
June 14 Evanston No Kings Day - Speeches

The following texts and videos were provided by some of our speakers to share with you. We will add additional presentations as we receive them. The following speakers are included:
Daniel Biss, Evanston Mayor
Niles West High School Students
Patrick Hanley, Operation Swing State and New Trier Democrats
Xavier Ramsey, Justice Informed
Pat Savage-Williams, ETHS School Board President
Daniel Biss, Evanston Mayor
View a video of his speech on Facebook.
Niles West High School Students
Jade and Ragad, students at Niles West, read the following remarks:
Person 1:
We all know Trump is racist, misogynistic, and hateful,
But even deeper than that, he’s greedy.
And his number one priority is wealth and power.
Person 2:
And he isn’t just hateful.
He turns marginalized groups into scapegoats
Anyone he can use to keep his followers from seeing that they’re being exploited.
Person 1:
Bigotry is the marketing strategy, and Greed is the business model.
Person 2:
People — especially young people, people of color, those from marginalized communities, and the working class — have to care.
Person 1:
Because the system is built to exhaust us, distract us, and keep us disengaged,
while the people in power keep eating.
And so we have to speak up.
Person 2:
To be clear, we don’t hate Trump.
We hate that he uses racism as a rallying cry.
That he normalizes sexual violence and laughs about it onstage.
Person 1:
We hate that he mocks disabled people, tears families apart,
and still has the nerve to call himself a patriot.
Person 2:
We got into politics because we care.
Person 1:
Because we’re Black women and first-generation immigrants,
And we’ve seen what this country does to people like us
and even more so to people with fewer protections.
Person 2:
But even in so-called “progressive” circles,
There’s pressure to overlook injustice for the sake of comfort.
People silence themselves, urging others to “set aside differences”
Person 1:
But that’s easy to say when your differences
don’t get you deported, criminalized, or killed.
Person 2:
We’re all here because we want to build a better country—
One where no one rules like a king, and no one wields unchecked power.
Person1:
But to get there, we can’t erase people’s experiences just to stay comfortable.
We need to listen to them, respect them, and center them.
Person 2:
Because true freedom means standing up against dictatorship, against leaders like Trump,
and building a country where everyone is seen and heard.
Person 1:
And progress isn’t supposed to feel comfortable —
Sometimes it means naming the things people want to ignore.
Person 2:
MAGA wants us to normalize bigotry and injustice.
And when we stop speaking up, they win.
Person 1:
So we need to be the first to hold each other accountable
to the standards we say we believe in.
Person 2:
If we don’t correct, reflect, and speak the truth
Person1:
We leave space for them, and you know who they are
to erase our history, push their harmful agenda, and silence our voices.
Person 2:
But at the same time, we need to acknowledge that we risk becoming hypocrites —
When we soften our message to make others comfortable,
We compromise the justice and change we’re fighting for.
Person 1: Progress requires discomfort. And if we’re too scared to check ourselves, We’re no better than the people we’re fighting against.
Person 2: We didn’t get into politics just because we hated what we saw. We stayed because we love the people we’re fighting for.
Person 1: This isn’t just about Trump. It’s about standing up against any leader who tries to silence us, Who rules without accountability.
Person 2: It’s about building a future where no one lives in fear, where no one has to hide who they are to survive.
Person 1: Because here’s the truth
Person 2: When a dictatorship threatens any one of us,
Person 1: It’s only a matter of time before it threatens us all.
Patrick Hanley, Operation Swing State and New Trier Democrats
I'm here to speak to you about the crisis of my generation -- sustainability.
Up in Winnetka, I am fighting coal power - I care deeply about the environment, but sustainability to me goes far beyond the climate crisis – which by the way could not be more urgent with the wildfire smoke billowing over our city or the topsoil of Iowa covering our cars – sustainability is a lens through which we must understand everything about our country at this moment.
Our system of checks and balances and rule of law are imperfect. They were started by flawed men. But they were designed to last. They were designed to improve. They were designed to endure – and they have, for centuries.
But there is nothing enduring about unfettered presidential power. There is nothing sustainable about a ruling party, rotten to the core, preventing our Congress from standing up to a King.
What is sustainable about targeting people in the streets without due process? About militarizing law enforcement or sending soldiers to intimidate protestors? What is sustainable about throwing a U.S. Senator to the ground?
This is not the country we signed up for. This is not the country our ancestors died for. The PROMISE of the United States is THE HOPE for a fair and a free place that gets better. We are watching that promise break.
But the thing about dictators; the thing about tyrants; the thing about Kings is that – in the long history of tragedies, farces, and mistakes, Kings and their lackeys only make things WORSE and then they FALL underneath their own weight.
Kings never last. DEMOCRACY lasts. Democracy can get better; monarchies get worse.
And beyond the present crisis, whatever the United States looks like next. Whatever Illinois looks like next. The work of our lives will be the work back towards sustainability. Turning back the tide of climate crisis and restoring our environment and our nation. One of repairing an economy – in balance between the people and the very rich. Where Americans are empowered and educated and healthy, safe, and inspired.
We've moved on now from “hope we can believe in” – we're fighting now for a FUTURE WE CAN COUNT ON.
But we can do it. I still believe we can get there.
Because what was true in 1776 is still true today - in this country, we have NO KINGS 3X
Xavier Ramsey, Justice Informed
View a video of his speech on YouTube, matched with scenes and sounds of the rally in Fountain Square.
Pat Savage-Williams, ETHS School Board President
"Understanding the Impact on Education"
Friends, colleagues, fellow advocates for our students! We gather today at a critical juncture for education in America. We are here to sound the alarm, to stand united against an administration that has launched a devastating assault on the very foundation of our educational system.
We know that this administration has directed its Secretary of Education to dismantle the Department of Education itself. Think about that for a moment. The Department of Education was established with a singular, vital purpose: to protect the civil rights of students, to promote equity and opportunities for ALL students. This includes students who have been historically marginalized, Black and Brown students, our vibrant LGBTQIA+ students, and our dedicated multilingual learners. To dismantle this department is not just an act of negligence; it is a reckless, unconscionable action that strips students of the resources, services, and support they desperately need to address the racial and economic inequality that still plagues our education system.
This isn't just about bureaucracy; it's about our children's futures.
And their relentless attack on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – or DEI. The 2024 Trump campaign's rhetoric is not just divisive; it is overtly racist and threatens to unravel decades of hard-won progress on racial equality and civil rights. This started during his first term as president but today, Trump and his supporters have not backed down; they've doubled down. The 2025 Presidential Transition Project has made its anti-DEI policies a cornerstone of their continued attacks on racial equity and free speech. They aim to censor academic discussions about race, gender, and systemic oppression. This is a wholesale attempt to roll back the clock on racial justice, to dismantle every effort we've made to address systemic racism and promote a more equitable and just society.
But here in Evanston, at ETHS, we stand firm. We have stated unequivocally: we will not comply. We cannot. Our students need us to continue to provide the resources, supports, and services to facilitate their success. DEI is not an add-on; it is embedded in everything we do. Yes, we are running the risk of losing federal funds, and that makes me nervous-very nervous! But we would not know who we are if we cut our equity initiatives.
In addition to terminating DEI-related federal mandates, policies, programs, and activities, this administration's agenda also seeks to:
● End federal funding for programs focused on equity in education.
● end DEI training for staff.
● Scrutinize our hiring practices.
And their assault doesn't stop there. This administration mandates that the federal government recognize only two genders: male and female. This removes federal protections for our transgender and nonbinary students, impacting everything from data collection to facility access and gender-specific programs. This is not just discriminatory; it is cruel and harmful to our most vulnerable students.
Finally, let's talk about immigration and deportation.This administration is shifting towards stricter immigration enforcement and, horrifyingly, rescinding policies that designated schools as "protected areas" where immigration enforcement actions were avoided. This means our schools, once safe havens, could become targets for enforcement, sowing fear and instability among our student body and families.
We are facing an unprecedented attack on the very principles of equity, opportunity, and safety in our schools. But we are not powerless. We are here today, raising our voices, committing to fight for every student, every resource, every protection. We will not let them dismantle our progress. We will not let them dictate who belongs in our schools. We will continue to champion equity, celebrate diversity, and ensure inclusion for ALL!
Thank you.
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