SOMETHING SACRAMENTO YOUTH LEADERSHIP AND ITS ALLIES SAY IS LONG OVERDUE.
>> WE WANT TO HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE, AND WE DO THAT BY SHOWING UP.
WE SHOW UP CONSISTENTLY AND INTENTIONALLY.
>> SHE IS A BIT OF AN LEGISLATIVE STAFFER AND PRESIDENT OF THE BLACK YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROJECT, ALSO KNOWN AS BYLP.
HER PASSION IS MAKING SURE BLACK STUDENTS AND FAMILIES ARE TREATED FAIRLY.
>> WE SERVE BLACK CHILDREN SPECIFICALLY AND INTENTIONALLY.
UNAPOLOGETICALLY.
WE DO THAT BECAUSE WHAT WE HAVE BEEN SEEING, ESPECIALLY IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS BECAUSE WE ALSO DO ADVOCACY WORK, WE HAVE SEEN THAT BLACK CHILDREN ARE NOT SUPPORTED IN THE WAY THAT THEY
NEED TO BE SUPPORTED AND WHAT THEY SHOULD BE SUPPORTED.
WE DEAL WITH THE WHOLE FAMILY, RIGHT?
WE HAVE THE PARENTS COVERED.
WE DEAL WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
WE HAVE THE STUDENTS COVERED.
>> IT TAKES A CRITICAL EYE AND A WILLINGNESS TO ACT BOLDLY.
>> IT IS NOT ALWAYS OVERT RACISM.
WHAT WE SEE RIGHT NOW, SOMETIMES IT IS COVERT.
IT IS MICRO-AGGRESSIONS DAILY.
IT IS COMING IN AND NOT CALLING ON THE STUDENT WITH THEIR HAND UP.
IT IS PUTTING THAT STUDENT IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM.
IT IS THAT STUDENT WALKS INTO YOUR CLASSROOM AND YOU AUTOMATICALLY KICK THEM OUT.
THE THING THAT UPSETS ME THE MOST IS HOW THEY ARE TREATING THE CHILDREN.
>> THE TREATMENT GOES BEYOND THE CLASSROOM.
BYLP IT IS ALSO GROWING THE NEXT GENERATION OF PUBLIC LEADERS, INTRODUCING TEENS TO THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP SKILLS, AND GETTING YOUTH INVOLVED IN PUBLIC
SERVICE, A CRITICAL MISSION GIVEN THE RACIAL TENSIONS TODAY.
>> I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE BLACK COMMUNITY IS REELING RIGHT NOW BASED ON THE TRAUMA THAT WE ARE SEEING OUT IN SOCIETY.
WE ARE IN A STATE OF EMERGENCY.
IF SOMEBODY DOES NOT MAKE THE DECISION TO DO SOMETHING INTENTIONALLY FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY, WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE THIS KIND OF DOWNWARD SPIRAL.
>> JOINING IN THE FIGHT, NONBLACK ALLIES.
>> THAT IS THE BIGGEST ISSUE.
WHITE SUPREMACY WILL NOT END UNLESS WHITE PEOPLE SEE IT AS A WHITE PROBLEM.
IT IS NOT A BLACK PROBLEM FOR THEM TO FIX ON THEIR OWN.
>> LISA IS WITH ALLIES TO ABOLITIONIST SUPPORT NETWORK.
>> WE HAVE TO REALLY BE INTENTIONAL IN OUR OWN LEARNING OF OUR OWN BIASES, IMPLICIT BIASES, AND WANT TO BE PART OF THE CHANGE.
>> A TARGET OF RACISM HERSELF, SHE SAYS CHANGE IS LONG OVERDUE.
>> I SAW FIRSTHAND WHAT IT WAS TO BE WITH A BLACK MAN, TO EXPERIENCE WHAT A BLACK FAMILY EXPERIENCES.
MY KIDS’S FATHER WAS BLACK, AND WE WERE PULLED OVER NUMEROUS TIMES FOR NO REASON AT ALL.
GUNS DRAWN.
JUST WHAT WE SEE IN THE NEWS TODAY.
IT HAS NOT STOPPED.
THIS IS IMPORTANT TO ME.
IT IS IMPORTANT NOT JUST BECAUSE OF MY KIDS.
IT IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT IS A SOCIAL JUSTICE.
>> WHILE COVID-19 IS SEPARATING ACTIVISTS FROM DECISION-MAKERS, IT DOES NOT MEAN THE CAUSES ON PAUSE.
>> RIGHT WHEN COVID HIT, WE WERE SCHEDULED TO HAVE EVER LEGISLATIVE OPEN HOUSE, OUR ANNUAL PROGRAM.
WE HAD THE LARGEST CLASS COMING IN AT 150 STUDENTS.
>> MENTORSHIP HAS GONE ONLINE.
FAMILIES STILL TO SUPPORT YOUTH ARE HEARD AND ENCOURAGED THROUGH THE NETWORK, AND RICHARD DAVIS AND JORDAN SANDERS ARE MENTORS WITH THE BLACK BOYS SUPPORT NETWORK.
>> WE JUST SUPPORT THE KIDS THAT WE RECRUIT.
AND WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEY ARE LOVED, THAT THEY ARE VALUED, AND THAT THEY CAN COME TO US ABOUT WHATEVER PROBLEMS THEY MAY FACE.
AND WE MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE INTENTIONAL WITH HOW WE CARE TO THEM -- CARE FOR THEM.
WE ARE INTENTIONAL WITH HOW WE STAY ON TOP OF BEING IN TOUCH WITH THEM.
SO WE LET THEM KNOW WE ARE ALWAYS HERE, LISTENING.
>> SANDERS IS ENCOURAGED BY THE MULTIRACIAL SUPPORT FOR MEANINGFUL CHANGES TO POLICING, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND REVERSING DECADES OF INEQUITIES.
BUT HE IS ALSO A REALIST.
>> IT IS NATURAL.
PEOPLE JUMP ON THE TRAIN FOR A LITTLE BIT AND JUMP RIGHT OFF.
>> DAVIS ALSO CALLS IT LIKE HE SEES IT.
>> ONE THING THAT TROUBLES ME RIGHT NOW IS I GUESS THE INFLATION OF RACISM THAT COMES FROM THE COMING ELECTION.
A LOT OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE SEE IS MAKING PEOPLE SAY THINGS VERY BOLDLY, AND IT IS KIND OF SHOWING REFLECTION IN OUR SOCIETY IN MULTIPLE DIFFERENT FACETS.
WHEN I LOOK AT THAT, IT MAKES ME A BIT FRIGHTENED.
WHAT MAKES ME HOPEFUL IS MY PEOPLE SITTING HERE IN THIS ROOM.
>> GIVING CHILDREN AND TEENS A SAFE SPACE TO SPEAK, BE HEARD, AND ENCOURAGED.
>> I THICKLY ALL COME FROM A PLACE WHERE WE WISH WE HAD TIMES.
THIS IS A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN MAKE SURE THAT EXHIBIT IS THERE.
>> JAYDA PRYOR IS THERE FOR BLACK GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN.
>> I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT MYSELF.
I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A LEADER.
I LEARNED HOW TO BE A LEADER IN A DIFFERENT WAY, A MORE POSITIVE AND MORE HEALTHY WAY.
THAT IS KIND OF HOW I TRY TO DIRECT MY GIRLS.
JUST BECAUSE WE ARE ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE CHALLENGES.
UNDERSTANDING THAT BECAUSE AMERICA WAS BUILT THIS WAY, NOTHING IS YOUR FAULT AND NOTHING IS PERSONALLY AGAINST YOU.
BUT BEING ABLE TO COMBAT THOSE CHALLENGES IN A HEALTHY MANNER.
>> BLACK YOUTH LEADERSHIP AND ITS ALLIES MEETING THE NEEDS IN A CONSISTENT AND INTENTIONAL WAY AND INVITING OTHERS TO DO THE SAME.
>> WE ARE WAITING ON SUPERMAN.
SUPERMAN IS NOT COMING.
LET’S BE HONEST.
SUPERMAN IS NOT COMING.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING