• Questioning Israel’s Policies Does Not Make Me Anti-Semitic

  by Anonymous

  My dad is Israeli and lived in Israel for more than 25 years. My mom moved to Israel from the Soviet Union in 1990 when she was only 18. She had also lived in a small town in Serbia, a country where anti-Semitism was rampant.

• Lucky to Have Me

  by Anonymous

  One day about two years ago, my older sister came home and said, “Pack a bag. We are leaving the country.’’ We had lived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) our whole lives. I asked her, “Where are we going?”

• Foster Youth Deserve a Seat at the Table

  by Gabrielle Rodriguez

  I have been in foster care since I was 16. In that time, I have served as a “youth voice” on youth advisory boards (YABs) for among others, my agency, Heartshare St. Vincent’s Services; Fair Futures; New Yorkers for Children; and the Dorm Project.

• Youth Have the Power

  by Luna Azcurrain

  Last June, one of the teachers at my school organized a Zoom workshop in an effort to get high school students to register to vote in this year’s election. I expected the Zoom room to be overflowing with students, but only about 10 showed up.

• Emmett. Kalief. Josiah. More Than Just Names

  by Josiah Alexander

  “Hey Emmett!” a White kid yelled at me as we were playing dodgeball during my 6th grade gym class. I didn’t think much of it. I didn’t even know what the insult meant, but some kids on the other side of the court started snickering and repeated it.

• Teen Advocates Fight to Save Summer Jobs

  by Inside Voices Staff

  In early April, due to the uncertainty over how COVID-19 will continue to affect social distancing guidelines, worksite availability, and other circumstances, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio canceled the Summer Youth Employment Program. SYEP provides 75,000 young people—mostly low-income students of color—paid jobs and internships.