Description: In the fall of 1958, 10,000 attendees participated in the first Youth March for Integrated Schools in Washington, D.C. Attended by 26,000 people, the second Youth March included Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who acknowledged the "face of the future" and challenged youth to "make a career of humanity." Why is it that youth, lacking voting power, feel empowered to stand in the face of gradualism and ask for the immediacy of justice, equity, and a secure future? This presentation answered this question by acknowledging the developmental life-stage of adolescence as significant to identity formation, critical consciousness, and civic behaviors. Further, this presentation challenged those who view youthfulness as ill-informed and impulsive to consider the possibilities of youth-led efforts to deconstruct systems of oppression and create equitable opportunities for their futures.
Panelist(s): Tennisha Riley