The University of Pittsburgh's Daily Student Newspaper

The Pitt News

The University of Pittsburgh's Daily Student Newspaper

The Pitt News

The University of Pittsburgh's Daily Student Newspaper

The Pitt News

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Kristan Hawkins speaks at the Turning Point USA event on Wednesday evening in the OHara Student Center.
Turning Point USA speaker Kristan Hawkins draws protest
By Emma Hannan and Kyra McCague April 19, 2024
Fresh Perspective | Final Farewell
By Julia Smeltzer, Digital Manager • April 19, 2024

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Kristan Hawkins speaks at the Turning Point USA event on Wednesday evening in the OHara Student Center.
Turning Point USA speaker Kristan Hawkins draws protest
By Emma Hannan and Kyra McCague April 19, 2024
Fresh Perspective | Final Farewell
By Julia Smeltzer, Digital Manager • April 19, 2024

Washington D.C. — 10:53 a.m.

The line at the University of Maryland’s metro station is winding up the stairs and out onto the sidewalk. Pink hats fill the crowd — a change of pace from the red hats of yesterday. The metro cars are filling up with students, parents, families and solo travelers from all over the country.

Payne Turner, her two-year-old son, Oscar, and her mother, Pam, from Richmond, Virginia are pushing their stroller onto a train car. They’re all donning pink hats —Oscar pulls his over his eyes as the car fills up. Turner says she came to the march for many reasons, but a in large part because she is “raising a man in this world.”

“It’s really important for us to pay attention to the collective voice of our society,” Turner says. “My son is learning from my example… and whether you’re a man, woman, child, gay, straight — I want to set a good example for him right now.”

Turner pulls out her phone and smiles at Facebook photos of supportive marches all over the world — Australia, Bangkok, Geneva, Nairobi.