SUMMER YOUTH STUDENTS STAND UP FOR THEIR RIGHT TO CANVASSING IN THEIR COMMUNITY
We Are Revolutionary, a political advocacy group and community organization based in Albany, New York, has ten new organizers after students in Albany’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) decided to leave the program and join the organization as Youth Organizers.
We Are Revolutionary is a fiscally-sponsored organization that addresses social issues such as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), systemic oppression, and violence. They work to foster grassroots liberation by promoting healing within families and offering political education. Through their free (or paid) resources, they empower individuals within communities to advocate for policymaking that avoids criminalizing trauma.
The organization was assigned to work with the afternoon cohort of Summer Youth students. Scholastic Talent and Arts (S.T. Arts) Summer Camp was assigned the morning cohort, both under the supervision of The Free School in Albany’s South End neighborhood. The student’s curriculum involved data entry, calling referrals, civic engagement, and canvassing the city with information about local resources. During orientation, students were given their job details and pay schedule. They even canvassed the neighborhood in their first few days.
Their supervisor, Director of Organizing Niesreen Mende, let the afternoon group know that it was possible to leave their program for another worksite in the SYEP or work with S.T. Arts Summer Camp. This left multiple opportunities for the students to move sites if they or their families felt uncomfortable with the work. However, they all decided the information was worth sharing and returned for work each day.
The students spoke highly of their work. “My experience with the We Are Revolutionary program has been fun because for one, I made new friends,” said Romeo Willams, a Youth Organizer with We Are Revolutionary. “Us getting the message out on stuff going on in our neighborhoods… I think it’s important.” They also spoke highly of their peers. “On my first day, they made me feel really welcome,” said Youth Organizer Shamiah Hilts. “From there I was more confident. I felt like I could be myself and I didn't have to change who I was around them.”
The Youth Organizers canvassed the South End sharing information regarding We Are Revolutionary’s programs and the National 988 Suicide Prevention Hotline with community members. They also shared local resources such as The Free School’s programs and services provided by the Hudson-Catskill Housing Coalition (HCHC), a group promoting tenants rights and racial justice in Upstate New York. In addition, the youth organizers had end-of-session activities to attend, like the Revolutionary Summer Retreat and the Pre-Sankofa Concert with rising artist Jenn Carter, held by the HCHC.
“I accepted this position because they give everybody an equal chance to speak,” said Hajile Cancer, another Youth Organizer with the advocacy group. “It's not just one person who is able to speak. They give everybody an opportunity to give their own opinions. And we're for community… They [also] expanded my community and really helped my confidence, like really helped with it.”
Miscommunication between The Free School and SYEP led to concerns surrounding canvassing in the South End. SYEP leadership allegedly prohibited students from canvassing the area, citing safety as their reason. In response, the students decided to resign from the SYEP program to secure employment with We Are Revolutionary and continue canvassing. The organization will employ the students for the summer at similar rates to the SYEP. Shortly after the mass resignation, SYEP leadership removed all students that were assigned to The Free School worksite completely, again citing a safety issue despite having no safety infractions at the site.
“It's unfortunate that SYEP removed the students from working with the Albany Free School,” said The Free School’s Board President Travis Harris. “As the President of the board of The Free School, students' safety is one of our top priorities. We strive to ensure that no student, educator, parent, staff, or visitor ever feels unsafe. We will continue to do the work of offering life-changing educational experiences at the highest level while maintaining the safety of all involved.”
It’s vital that We Are Revolutionary continues its work. They’ve partnered with groups like the HCHC and New Deal 4 Youth to push for reparative justice and social opportunity. Studies have shown a direct correlation between neighborhoods and inequities on the Child Opportunity Index in Albany, despite the city being 8th in the ranking for large metropolitan areas with opportunities for children. According to findings, Black children in the region scored 23 out of 100 on the Opportunity Index. Through their work with these students, We Are Revolutionary aims to close this gap in Albany by providing opportunities for young people to create change, get involved in their community and promote free resources.
In addition, further studies have cited the need for alternative methods to addressing social issues like behavioral outbursts that lead to negative police interactions. We Are Revolutionary is partnering with the Movement4BlackLives and the Futures Institute to support the People’s Response Act of 2023 (H.R. 4699). This legislative bill calls for change surrounding community safety, policing and mental health services in the United States. Behavioral health has always been criminalized and after the tragic murder of Sonya Massey by deputy Sean Grayson in Illinois, the Youth Organizers are adamant about advocating for social alternatives to safety.
“Outreach has always been crucial to The Free School’s operations and this summer, our organization was selected to lead this effort,” said Lukee Forbes, Executive Director and Co-founder of We Are Revolutionary. “It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t find a viable solution with SYEP leadership to continue working with these students under their program. However, it’s clear these teenagers found importance in partnering directly with our organization and we’ll ensure they are compensated at the same or better rates.”
It’s known that city initiatives have fallen short in the past. With a lack of substantial change in areas like mental health, clean air, recreational activities for children and socio-economics, it’s clear that We Are Revolutionary is filling a critical gap in Albany. Furthermore, their Youth Organizers are dedicated to building a better community for themselves and their peers.
We are Revolutionary was founded in 2022 by activists Lukee Forbes and Qubilah Sales. The organization is seeking support in their efforts to employ the students during the summer and beyond. Those looking to support the organization’s efforts can reach out to Niesreen Mende at weare@wearerevolutionary.org and visit wearerevolutionary.org to learn more.