Coming of Age through Grassroots Organizing
Hector Acevedo
I know my destination...
Our different experiences allow us to view the world from many different perspectives. In order to change the current system of oppression, we must use our experiences to challenge its authority. However, Young people of color are unable to view the world from different perspectives. Poverty, race, class all contribute to the lack of perspectives we can learn from. I recently had a conversation with a good friend of mine that helped me put this into perspective. He brought up the idea of developing a youth program located in the middle of Boston’s financial district. A youth center located in Boston’s economic center would give young people the opportunity to view the world from a different perspective. Looking at their community from the top down would force a young person to ask different questions about their experiences in comparison to looking at the world from the bottom up.
The majority of young people are not given the opportunity to experience quality internships that will help prepare them to enter a high quality workforce. Internships help young people gain experience in a specific field of interest and allow them to build networks. Young people need to immerse themselves in experiences that expand their horizons so that they are prepared to face the challenges of an oppressive society.
