Building Alliances with Millennials at the Local Level to Improve Outcomes for Boys and Men of Color
This session explored ways to authentically engage Millennials, or Generation Y, beyond dialogue to solution-building and implementation.
Presenters/Moderators
Jamira Burley
City of Philadelphia's Youth Commission
Willie Scott
Oakland High School
Jazz Hudson
Black Youth Project
Richard Taylor
Taking Back Chiraq Campaign
Deen Tyler
Brotherhood of Elders
Main Points
- Young leaders feel like the torch isn’t being passed; elders feel like there is no one to pass the torch to.
- It’s an unlearning and re-learning process—you need to continually learn how to engage with your community.
- You have to give young people a platform to share their own story; they are the experts of their own experience.
- Knowing their experiences and being a part of that same story is powerful—these same young leaders represent the people in their community.
- Young people don’t see people in the public eye with whom they can identify.
Key Strategies
- Empower young leaders as key stakeholders in decision-making processes and ensure they have a permanent place at the table.
- Create an intentional space for young people to learn and grow.
- Re-align how we get young people’s attention. We need to position it as a product—move away from a “social crusade” to a “corporate competition.”
- Engage youth where they are culturally, mentally, and physically.
Action Steps
- Build a pipeline to connect intergenerational leadership in this work.
Download the official #AGoL15 Conference App to stay up to date on the conference schedule, see presenter bios, and connect with other participants!