Microaggressions Pushed Me Into Activism
The first time I remember being the target of racism was in my freshman year art class. I was sitting alone, focused on my artistic “masterpiece” with headphones on, which was why it took me a second to notice the group looking at me, snickering in secretive laughter. “What?” I said as I pulled down […]
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Why Teens of Color Should Learn to Code
I was first introduced to coding in 4th grade when all math classes were assigned to do Hour of Code activities for one day. These beginner activities were fun and easy, but my journey with code ended on the same day it started because math was my least favorite subject. I had the wrong idea […]
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Foster Youth Deserve a Seat at the Table
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. I’ve spoken up because I didn’t have anyone to stand up […]
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Youth Have the Power
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. I couldn’t understand why more students didn’t care about voting […]
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