Kiyoko Merolli, a first-grader from Takoma Park, Maryland has a slightly different idea than most kids about what makes a fun birthday party.
In honor of turning seven, Kiyoko decided to hold a party with a very special theme: protesting President Trump.
On the day of her party, Kiyoko and many of her young friends gathered outside the White House to spread messages of positivity and to protest the actions of President Trump's administration.
Photos, shared online by Takoma Park Mayor Kate Stewart confirmed the party was equal parts adorable and politically active.
The party featured cupcakes with messages like "protect kids, not guns" and "families belong together."
Stewart, who was thrilled to be invited to Kiyoko's party by her parents, said the message of the protest was "about the world we want to create and the one we want to be living in, and about how we can uplift people and be respectful and be kind."
She also added:
"In the context we're living in right now, there is a lot of hurtful and hateful language, and for our young people, I think a lot of us are very afraid of the impact this is having on them."
With picket messages like "kid power," "love trumps hate," and "black lives matter," it's hard to imagine anyone taking issue with the event.
But conservatives online managed to find a way, somehow seeing the above as attacks on them.
When asked if she would like to run for President in 2047, Kiyoko told The Washington Post in no uncertain terms:
"Embarrassing. I do not want to be President."
People on Twitter absolutely loved Kiyoko getting involved early with the causes of love and acceptance.
The event was a huge success, even attracting some strangers who believed in Kiyoko's message!
Happy Birthday, Kiyoko, and congratulations on exercising your First Amendment rights!
If there are budding activists in your home or on your gift list, the book You Are Mighty: A Guide to Changing the World is available here.
