FIVE YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS TO CHECK OUT
In having many conversations around this powerful Black Lives Matter movement, I noticed one thing: most of the people REALLY showing up and speaking out, pulling resources together to share online, organizing city clean-ups, and leading peaceful protests are the YOUTH.
Here’s a list of 5 non-profits helping the Black Youth that are accepting donations, if you’re able to we encourage you to donate or follow and share their accounts with your community!
Their mission is to increase the number of WOC in the digital tech space by introductions girls from the ages of 7-17 to CS.
SWEET FACT: Computer technology is an essential tool and Black Girls Code’s ultimate goal is to provide young Black women with the skills to occupy some of the 1.4 million computing job openings expected to be available in the U.S. this year, and to train 1 MILLION girls by 2040 - amazing! This also comes at a perfect time, as we fight to ensure there is more diversity throughout companies and especially within leadership roles.
They’re an education, research and policy organization dedicated to reducing bias and promoting positive identity development in youth. Through partnerships with children’s museums, schools and families across the country, they promote access to children’s books centering underrepresented and oppressed groups.
Sweet Fact: The Conscious Kid recently launched a fund to get novels from their “Children’s Books to Support Conversations on Race, Racism, and Resistance” into classrooms across the country.
Their focus is on empowering girls from the ages of 17-22 through social impact, career exploration and objective alignment to aid them in successfully entering the competitive workforce. They offer internship placements for college girls as well as career development for recent graduates with workshops for resume and interview preparedness.
Sweet Fact: Networking can be tough when you don’t know where to start, but Gyrl Wonder offers internship placement for the young college women who seek interest in Gyrl Wonder, career development for their recent college graduates, and resume and interview preparedness workshops to all.
This organization is focused on transformation within the school system.
Sweet Fact: Currently, NYC houses 1.1 million students in some of the most separate and unequal schools in the country. Integrate NYC aims to not only create a lasting change in the school system, but also fights for Real Representation of young people in decision making at local, city, state, and federal levels - and we know we NEED that!
Creating social cohesion for two of the most isolated demographics such as culture creators, influencers and leaders. They build a network and mentor ship to enforce the vision of these creatives.
Sweet Fact: Due to nationwide budget cuts, the Watts Community almost lost programming at their community center in 2018. Red Eye Inc was able to step in with the help of donations to save it and continues to set up volunteer days there to hang with the youth and donate items.
Illustration by Bryan Collier from the book Trombone Shorty.
Between June 1 - June 6 2020, seven of the peaceful protests in Los Angeles County that I knew of were all organized by youth between the ages of 16-19 (I’d give them a shout out here, but we’ll protect their identities).
However, let’s take a minute to shoutout some of these tweets from the young using their platforms to share their voices:
@jadealycebod started this amazing thread of Black-owned businesses that has 3,000+ comments on it!!!
@ghostvalley started this dope thread of Black/mixed alternative musicians to listen to.
@danielf10res shared @sayheyytojay’s message and gofundme link to raise money for supplies to share with Black youth activists in LA.
@webbjalijah created a thread of text resources.
Alyssa Jara is a guest mob contributor for TGM.
