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07/20/2019 | Organizing for Education Justice

YOUTH LEADERSHIP: Open Mic Showcases Participants' Talent & Our Community at the People's Convention

Youth had the opportunity to showcase their many talents in dance, rap, poetry, singing and other engaging performances. This was a completely youth led space with youth MCs and performers. Many of the pieces performed relayed an activist sentiment, very fitting for the People’s Convention. Not only were the performances entertaining for the audience but many performers expressed an appreciation for being able to perform in such a welcoming and accepting environment filled with friends who could relate to their backgrounds. 

Onyx Walker, a leader at the Urban Youth Collaborative in New York, who was both an MC and performer during the event stated that  “it was one of the most supportive, creative spaces” he’d ever been in. Onyx went on to describe a specific performance by Vinny, a member of Latinos Unidos Siempre (LUS), at the end of the night which showed the accepting environment: “Folks were one hundred percent supportive, heard him out...and a lot of people felt what he had to say.” Some performers like Jeremiah from Make the Road New York expressed similar feelings: “I was scared because it was my first time performing...the environment, it made me feel comfortable.” As the night ended youth had created community through shared support and creativity which proved to be necessary in the following day of workshops where they successfully worked together to create heir vision for their communities.