Youth in Charge: Black History Month Campaign

Youth In Charge is a youth organizing project focused on issues of importance to young people of color in Central Brooklyn. We lead workshops and host events for other youth about social justice, violence prevention, and community involvement. This February, we want to focus on the Black culture, community, and history in Central Brooklyn by creating a month-long campaign to raise awareness about gentrification and other issues changing our community and impacting us as young people.

To prepare for this campaign, the Youth In Charge group will take a trip to Washington, D.C. to meet with other youth organizers and to visit the National Museum of African American History. People gain strength and affirmation from knowing the history of their culture's contributions to society. We believe this trip will provide inspiration, insight, and valuable information to channel into planning youth-led discussions, music, art, placemaking events, and a social media campaign for Black History Month

Our campaign will be documented on our social media platforms listed below and at neighborsinaction.org/youthcenter
Follow us for more updates: 

• Facebook.com/youthorganizing 
• Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat @youthorganizing

Planning Process

• 15 Youth Leaders and staff travel to Washington D.C. to visit the National Museum of African American History and conduct Youth Organizing Exchanges with local activist groups. This trip will help us gain new perspectives and content to bring back to the Brooklyn community and incorporate into our events locally.

• We will document the trip on social media to share what we are learning with our friends and community back in Brooklyn. 

• To prepare for the Brooklyn campaign, we will break into planning committees to organize the campaign’s many components. Committees will include: Events Planning, Arts & Entertainment, Budget & Logistics; Placemaking, and Outreach & Promotion.

• Among other tasks, committee members will be responsible for identifying artists, performers, vendors, entrepreneurs, and community partners. 

• We will also create a calendar of Black History Month events to raise awareness of resources and opportunities for people to take part in.

In Central Brooklyn, gentrification is widespread and long-term black residents and families are being pushed out. As young people who have lived here our whole lives, we sometimes walk down the street and wonder if we are even welcome here. By hosting this Black History Month campaign, we we want to help young black people feel represented and connected to the community. Periodt!

Black history is not taught as it should be in many of our schools. Media often portrays black youth negatively, rather than as valuable, contributing members of society. When we are not shown the full range of accomplishments of black people historically and today, we may not realize the strength and power that is within us! By developing a Black History month campaign, we want to share the stories of how communities of color flourish, come together in solidarity, and support one another.

The research and learning trip to Washington D.C. will further enhance our own perspectives and knowledge, which we will then share with our community at home. We need your help to make the D.C trip and the Brooklyn-based events possible.