On youth, and sitting with injustice
It’s no secret that we have a lot of work to do to make our world a more fair and equitable place, but 2020 has done a particularly potent job at shining light through all the cracks of injustice that we’ve been painting over as a society for far too long. From the racial, ethnic and economic disparities present in Covid-19 deaths, to mounting attacks on the rights of women, immigrants, and the LGBTQ+ community, to the murder of George Floyd and countless other black folx before and after him, the paint is starting to peel back, and our nation is being forced to take a good hard look at those cracks in the foundation of our society.
We see all of this on the news, but we also feel it in our communities, and it is felt distinctly by our youth. Youth feel the financial hardships of their families, despite their parents working two or three jobs. Youth feel the implications of systemic racism on their education, when none of their teachers, nor the people in their textbooks, look like them. Youth feel the panic when they read about climate change and watch natural disasters roll through communities like never before, while the adults who have the potential to enact change are unable, or unwilling, to do so. Our unique technological moment has made these types of issues more visible to youth than ever before, yet they often feel powerless to do anything about them, or, perhaps worse – feel dismissed for their outrage.
Adolescents in particular are at an age where they are biologically programmed to challenge things, to question authority, and to push away from what they know – a quality which has them rivaling 2020 in their propensity for highlighting injustices. But for that same reason, injustices expressed by youth are too often dismissed by adults as “dramatic,” “rebellious” or “naïve” – particularly if those adults hold certain privileges which have shielded them from similar injustices. But no matter the complexities of an unjust situation, young people have a right to their experience of it, and the way they are able to move through that experience can have a profound impact on their development, their self-worth, and their sense of agency.
As a mentor, one of the most important roles I’m able to play in young peoples’ lives is to validate the injustices that they experience and witness on a daily basis. I get to help them create space where their anger, hurt, sorrow and frustration can be safely and fully felt, where they can express it through creative means, and when we’re lucky, be channeled outward as a means of connection or change. I also have the privilege of sitting with them as they learn to grieve all that remains unchangeable – a lifelong practice which I for one, could have benefited from getting an early start on.
As we move through this trying moment in history, the heart, inspiration, and creativity of the young people I work with has kept me immensely hopeful. I am grateful to get to play a small role in their journey as they step up to carry us forward.
LR
