Youth Videos

Youth discuss why they feel unsafe in their communities.

Young people discuss their mistrust of the police.

Ashton H. discusses how its important to learn from history and the importance of youth voice.

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Sierra W. discusses ensuring that people of color are at the table when it comes to hiring.

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Noah H. age 21 shares how he believes we can come together to combat systemic racism.

Latest News

Black Students’ Disadvantage Isn’t Just in the Achievement Gap. Give Them an Equal Chance to Take Advanced Courses

Black students in America are facing an invisible threat that extends beyond the pandemic. This threat is widespread and prevalent, yet not as overt as the threats they face of police brutality and hate crimes.

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Employers, Do Your Part: Practical Steps toward Anti-Racism

At 21, I landed a fellowship that I thought would change my life. It was a small group of us.

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We Must Understand Our Country’s Truthful Past to Shape Our Present & Future. It’s Time to Adopt Standards That Are Honest and Highlight the Contributions of People of Color

As classrooms and our nation become more diverse, it is essential that schools become more inclusive and representative in how they teach our shared history. To do so, state boards of education like ours should adopt social studies standards that encourage an honest, inclusive teaching of our nation’s history and that highlight the contributions and experiences of people of color.

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Work with Students to Eliminate Racist Teachings From Our Textbooks & Classrooms

I have been working to reevaluate the curriculum at my school by working in a collaborative group between students and staff called the Equity Team. I’ve been talking specifically to English teachers to see how we can shift the curriculum so that it incorporates honest lessons about our country’s history.

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Black Students Want to Escape Their Schools’ Oppressive Cultures — Declare Systemic Racism a Public Health Crisis

Last year, my closest friend faced perpetual racial abuse at school. Teammates called him a “cocky n***er” in the locker room, and he was ostracized by football coaches as they practiced after METCO buses (Boston’s integration program) had left. The overwhelming distress and his countless failed attempts to receive support drove him out of Newton North High School. Make no mistake — this is racism. This is a direct removal of integrated Black students from our school.

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Stop Wasting Time Debating Whether Schools Are Too Politicized. They Are Inherently Political. Reform Discipline, Inclusion & Curriculum Instead

The ever-increasing movement to depoliticize schools is ultimately a disservice to our society with inherently hypocritical goals. Let there be no mistake; schools are political. They always have been. What they teach is political. Who they teach is political. Who they don’t teach is political. Everything down to the when and where is political. And there is not a more significant example of this than racism in America.

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Events

Below are a few of the events where youth were able to discuss their feelings regarding racial justice in America and their lived experiences.

Game Changers

This Black History Month, America’s Promise Alliance invites you to join us in a conversation with Black youth and adult leaders to explore how we can share power and work across generations to write the next chapter of progress for the United States.

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Latest Resources

Barriers to Wellness

This report provides new insights into the obstacles to wellness young people of color face in five cities and brings young people’s voices and views into the discussion about what affects their healt

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Your Experiences Matter

If you’re a young person, we encourage you to share your story this topic and how it is affected your life, what you are doing to cope, how you are being supported at this time, and what you need moving forward. If you’re a caring adult, we encourage you to listen! Please share these stories using #StateOfYoungPeople.

Once again, our hope is that by amplifying young people’s voices and helping them to be a part of national and local conversations, their experiences and perspectives can shape how schools, nonprofit and community organizations, out-of-school settings, employers, and policymakers support them both now and in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Share Your Story

Want to know what youth are thinking and feeling on a other topics? Learn more below:

employment during covid

Learning During COVID

youth leadership