In the past week, there has been a huge boost of support for the Democratic Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, who spoke in front of the United States Senate for a full 25 hours without any food or restroom breaks March 31 into April 1. This amazing feat was watched by millions across the United States, and people used social media outlets like Instagram and X to unite in expressing their support for a record-breaking event.

This 25-hour speech has broken the previous record of 24 hours, given back in 1957 by Sen. Strom Thurmond of North Carolina, where he spoke about his stance against the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Now Sen. Booker, a Black man in office (who is everything Thurmond tried to prevent), gave his speech in protest of our current presidential administration and the state of our nation, breaking the record previously held by a racist. This speech was groundbreaking in many ways, but its message of resilience specifically is what makes his point so awe-inspiring.

In the past few months following the election, millions have been losing hope in the way our nation is being run, with the country following the path toward an oligarchy. However, Sen. Booker’s display of strength, opposition and vitality gave way for hope to fill the hearts of millions.

He stood on that stage for a full day for the American people who simply want a better future. He didn’t hide the fear that naturally came with opposing a larger enemy, but he also didn’t let it deter him, which allowed him to be a role model for those who have even smaller roles in our society. As Booker stated, “Fear is a necessary precondition to courage.”

In the week that followed, April 5, a large protest broke out across every single state in the United States as part of the “Hands off” movement that is in protest of our current administration’s policies as well as Elon Musk. With the masses yelling for Trump’s team to get their “hands off our democracy,” at least 3 million U.S. citizens came together nationwide, showing the power we have in unifying.

There is no doubt a connection between Sen. Booker’s speech and the participation of millions to fight in the resistance against such anti-human policies that are trying to be ushered in, with topics ranging from healthcare to immigration at risk. Our nation’s citizens are showing how much we don’t want the current path that Republicans are trying to pave for us, and it is clear that silence is no longer an option.

Everyone is currently resisting in different ways, with one method being the clear boycotting of large companies who aligned with Trump’s attacks on DEI. Companies have seen significant losses due to these boycotts, such as Target having lost more than 12.4 billion in revenue, and they are beginning to truly see just how powerful America is when we stick together.

Those in power are no longer going to be able to ignore the screams of the millions of Americans who refuse to watch this country get any worse. As someone who has been born here to immigrants, I have seen the good sides of this country along with the bad. However, hate cannot be one of our country’s core values, despite the fact that our history has involved the oppression and genocide of multiple different demographics. Our nation was built on nothing but hatred for those who are different than you, but now Americans are showing that it will not exist here anymore. Trump’s policies are fighting to erase people of color, women, those of different abilities and members of the LGBTQ+ community. These tyrannical policies will not survive.

I’ve seen how much our nation has been fighting in the past week alone, and I know that these protests will continue until these problems our administration has created have been fixed. As students, our knowledge is our power. There will be protests coming up, and whether you’re against our country’s complacency in Gaza, recent immigration changes or women’s reproductive rights, we all have something to fight for and people like Sen. Booker show that yes, it is tiring and hard, but the ripple effect is worth too much to lose.

Good luck to us all as we fight to keep our democracy alive, and I look forward to seeing the positive change that we will enforce in the upcoming months.