she’s gonna have to adjust to this red circle because I’m an educator and I
circle because I’m an educator and I
circle because I’m an educator and I want to walk around and talk to each of
want to walk around and talk to each of
want to walk around and talk to each of you young people are everything they are
you young people are everything they are
you young people are everything they are innovative they are inquisitive they are
innovative they are inquisitive they are
innovative they are inquisitive they are radical and they are loving young people
radical and they are loving young people
radical and they are loving young people have so much to offer us and so much to
have so much to offer us and so much to
have so much to offer us and so much to teach as co-founder and CEO of the youth
teach as co-founder and CEO of the youth
teach as co-founder and CEO of the youth mentoring Action Network a mentoring
mentoring Action Network a mentoring
mentoring Action Network a mentoring nonprofit here in the Inland Empire I
nonprofit here in the Inland Empire I
nonprofit here in the Inland Empire I have had ample opportunity to listen to
have had ample opportunity to listen to
have had ample opportunity to listen to and build alongside young people now
and build alongside young people now
and build alongside young people now while some of these moments have been
while some of these moments have been
while some of these moments have been difficult and challenging all of them
difficult and challenging all of them
difficult and challenging all of them have been absolutely worthwhile folks
have been absolutely worthwhile folks
have been absolutely worthwhile folks engaged in youth work today have a
engaged in youth work today have a
engaged in youth work today have a really big responsibility there’s a lot
really big responsibility there’s a lot
really big responsibility there’s a lot happening in our world we are engaged in
happening in our world we are engaged in
happening in our world we are engaged in epic in real-life battles against racism
epic in real-life battles against racism
epic in real-life battles against racism hetero patriarchy rape culture and so
hetero patriarchy rape culture and so
hetero patriarchy rape culture and so much more if there’s one thing that
much more if there’s one thing that
much more if there’s one thing that young people need it is a network of
young people need it is a network of
young people need it is a network of support people that can help them to
support people that can help them to
support people that can help them to process and navigate the myriad of
process and navigate the myriad of
process and navigate the myriad of issues that they face young people have
issues that they face young people have
issues that they face young people have an incredible opportunity to build the
an incredible opportunity to build the
an incredible opportunity to build the world anew but they need the love
world anew but they need the love
world anew but they need the love support and dedication of critical
support and dedication of critical
support and dedication of critical mentors to help them do it so that young
mentors to help them do it so that young
mentors to help them do it so that young people face a myriad of issues this is
people face a myriad of issues this is
people face a myriad of issues this is what I mean these images are for young
what I mean these images are for young
what I mean these images are for young people and some of these faces may be
people and some of these faces may be
people and some of these faces may be immediately recognizable to you they may
immediately recognizable to you they may
immediately recognizable to you they may in fact help to sort of get you to
in fact help to sort of get you to
in fact help to sort of get you to understand the theme that is going to
understand the theme that is going to
understand the theme that is going to emerge here each of these young people
emerge here each of these young people
emerge here each of these young people have been victims of murder or assault
have been victims of murder or assault
have been victims of murder or assault the first picture is of Trayvon Martin
the first picture is of Trayvon Martin
the first picture is of Trayvon Martin who was 17 when he was shot and killed
who was 17 when he was shot and killed
who was 17 when he was shot and killed by a neighborhood watchman the second
by a neighborhood watchman the second
by a neighborhood watchman the second picture is a Monique Tillman who was
picture is a Monique Tillman who was
picture is a Monique Tillman who was assaulted by a mall cop when she was
assaulted by a mall cop when she was
assaulted by a mall cop when she was riding her bike through the parking lot
riding her bike through the parking lot
riding her bike through the parking lot the third picture is a Tamir rice a 12
the third picture is a Tamir rice a 12
the third picture is a Tamir rice a 12 year old who was playing in a park when
year old who was playing in a park when
year old who was playing in a park when he was shot and killed by a police
he was shot and killed by a police
he was shot and killed by a police sir and the fourth picture is of de JIRA
sir and the fourth picture is of de JIRA
sir and the fourth picture is of de JIRA Becton who was pinned down and sat upon
Becton who was pinned down and sat upon
Becton who was pinned down and sat upon when she when she intended when she
when she when she intended when she
when she when she intended when she attended a pool party it’s important for
attended a pool party it’s important for
attended a pool party it’s important for us to say their names when each of these
us to say their names when each of these
us to say their names when each of these young people have in common is not only
young people have in common is not only
young people have in common is not only that they have been victims but that
that they have been victims but that
that they have been victims but that their victimhood is a result of race
their victimhood is a result of race
their victimhood is a result of race class and hetero patriarchy so how do
class and hetero patriarchy so how do
class and hetero patriarchy so how do mentors help I’ve had the opportunity to
mentors help I’ve had the opportunity to
mentors help I’ve had the opportunity to travel around the country and talk to
travel around the country and talk to
travel around the country and talk to and train mentors about these issues and
and train mentors about these issues and
and train mentors about these issues and I often show them these slides I show
I often show them these slides I show
I often show them these slides I show them these visuals with a purpose of
them these visuals with a purpose of
them these visuals with a purpose of asking them this question if you had
asking them this question if you had
asking them this question if you had been a mentor to one of these young
been a mentor to one of these young
been a mentor to one of these young people what kinds of conversations might
people what kinds of conversations might
people what kinds of conversations might you have had with them now given the
you have had with them now given the
you have had with them now given the stories of each of these young people
stories of each of these young people
stories of each of these young people that kind of questioning typically
that kind of questioning typically
that kind of questioning typically evokes a lot of gasps and sighs because
evokes a lot of gasps and sighs because
evokes a lot of gasps and sighs because this is a difficult conversation to have
this is a difficult conversation to have
this is a difficult conversation to have with young people it’s a difficult
with young people it’s a difficult
with young people it’s a difficult conversation to have with one another
conversation to have with one another
conversation to have with one another and so we often avoid these
and so we often avoid these
and so we often avoid these conversations in favor of our own
conversations in favor of our own
conversations in favor of our own comfort but these are conversations that
comfort but these are conversations that
comfort but these are conversations that we must have if we are to equip young
we must have if we are to equip young
we must have if we are to equip young people with the tools that they need to
people with the tools that they need to
people with the tools that they need to make change critical mentoring is a
make change critical mentoring is a
make change critical mentoring is a powerful tool it’s a blend of critical
powerful tool it’s a blend of critical
powerful tool it’s a blend of critical race theory and mentoring elements that
race theory and mentoring elements that
race theory and mentoring elements that help us to focus on addressing the
help us to focus on addressing the
help us to focus on addressing the contexts that youth exist in critical
contexts that youth exist in critical
contexts that youth exist in critical race Theory says or we use critical race
race Theory says or we use critical race
race Theory says or we use critical race theory to discuss and engage in
theory to discuss and engage in
theory to discuss and engage in conversations about racism to reject
conversations about racism to reject
conversations about racism to reject colorblindness and liberalism and to
colorblindness and liberalism and to
colorblindness and liberalism and to value the narratives of marginalized
value the narratives of marginalized
value the narratives of marginalized people critical mentoring essentially
people critical mentoring essentially
people critical mentoring essentially says that if young people’s contexts
says that if young people’s contexts
says that if young people’s contexts were water and air they’d be toxic and
were water and air they’d be toxic and
were water and air they’d be toxic and possible to drink impossible to breathe
possible to drink impossible to breathe
possible to drink impossible to breathe mentoring must move to clear the water
mentoring must move to clear the water
mentoring must move to clear the water and purify the air it is not about using
and purify the air it is not about using
and purify the air it is not about using mentoring to manage symptoms
mentoring to manage symptoms
mentoring to manage symptoms it’s about leveraging mentoring to
it’s about leveraging mentoring to
it’s about leveraging mentoring to address root causes when we are engaged
address root causes when we are engaged
address root causes when we are engaged in youth mentoring we are often asking
in youth mentoring we are often asking
in youth mentoring we are often asking young people to fix themselves and we do
young people to fix themselves and we do
young people to fix themselves and we do that when we know full well that their
that when we know full well that their
that when we know full well that their contexts are toxic why do we ask black
contexts are toxic why do we ask black
contexts are toxic why do we ask black youth for example to pull up their pants
youth for example to pull up their pants
youth for example to pull up their pants and appear more respectable when we know
and appear more respectable when we know
and appear more respectable when we know that black men in suits are harassed why
that black men in suits are harassed why
that black men in suits are harassed why do we ask marginalized youth to engage
do we ask marginalized youth to engage
do we ask marginalized youth to engage in schools when we know that schools are
in schools when we know that schools are
in schools when we know that schools are often sites of trauma for young people
often sites of trauma for young people
often sites of trauma for young people so critical mentoring asks mentors to
so critical mentoring asks mentors to
so critical mentoring asks mentors to consider the context that youth exist in
consider the context that youth exist in
consider the context that youth exist in and then and to then alter their
and then and to then alter their
and then and to then alter their mentoring praxis to help young people to
mentoring praxis to help young people to
mentoring praxis to help young people to address these issues critical mentoring
address these issues critical mentoring
address these issues critical mentoring is also about being youth centric now
is also about being youth centric now
is also about being youth centric now this is not separate or neatly divorced
this is not separate or neatly divorced
this is not separate or neatly divorced from the idea of critically considering
from the idea of critically considering
from the idea of critically considering context in fact if you are a youth
context in fact if you are a youth
context in fact if you are a youth mentor who’s working with a marginalized
mentor who’s working with a marginalized
mentor who’s working with a marginalized young person it’s your responsibility to
young person it’s your responsibility to
young person it’s your responsibility to ensure that young people who are
ensure that young people who are
ensure that young people who are typically without voice power and choice
typically without voice power and choice
typically without voice power and choice have voice power and choice there are
have voice power and choice there are
have voice power and choice there are four elements that are involved in being
four elements that are involved in being
four elements that are involved in being used centric and typically my youth
used centric and typically my youth
used centric and typically my youth co-facilitators give this slide so I
co-facilitators give this slide so I
co-facilitators give this slide so I give them full credit for all of these
give them full credit for all of these
give them full credit for all of these points those four elements are
points those four elements are
points those four elements are recognizing that youth are capable
recognizing that youth are capable
recognizing that youth are capable providing youth with a platform passing
providing youth with a platform passing
providing youth with a platform passing the mic and letting youth lead
recognizing that youth are capable is
recognizing that youth are capable is about combatting our adult ism adult ism
about combatting our adult ism adult ism
about combatting our adult ism adult ism that says that young people should have
that says that young people should have
that says that young people should have opinions and that they’re not ready to
opinions and that they’re not ready to
opinions and that they’re not ready to lead in this in this way providing a
lead in this in this way providing a
lead in this in this way providing a platform is about ensuring that young
platform is about ensuring that young
platform is about ensuring that young people have space and place to innovate
people have space and place to innovate
people have space and place to innovate and partner with us in this work passing
and partner with us in this work passing
and partner with us in this work passing the mic is exactly that there’s a saying
the mic is exactly that there’s a saying
the mic is exactly that there’s a saying that you don’t need to be a voice for
that you don’t need to be a voice for
that you don’t need to be a voice for the voiceless just pass the mic in the
the voiceless just pass the mic in the
the voiceless just pass the mic in the same way we should not always have to
same way we should not always have to
same way we should not always have to speak
speak
speak on behalf of young people we should just
on behalf of young people we should just
on behalf of young people we should just give them opportunities to speak for
give them opportunities to speak for
give them opportunities to speak for themselves and finally we need to let
themselves and finally we need to let
themselves and finally we need to let young people lead and they should be
young people lead and they should be
young people lead and they should be leading in various ways they should be
leading in various ways they should be
leading in various ways they should be running our programs they should be
running our programs they should be
running our programs they should be running this event they should be
running this event they should be
running this event they should be prepared and poised to take over our
prepared and poised to take over our
prepared and poised to take over our positions when we move on and young
positions when we move on and young
positions when we move on and young people are more than capable they can do
people are more than capable they can do
people are more than capable they can do it Angela Davis said that young people
it Angela Davis said that young people
it Angela Davis said that young people should be able to see further since they
should be able to see further since they
should be able to see further since they are standing on our shoulders letting
are standing on our shoulders letting
are standing on our shoulders letting youth lead and youth centrism in general
youth lead and youth centrism in general
youth lead and youth centrism in general is not about adults disappearing or
is not about adults disappearing or
is not about adults disappearing or leaving the picture as a matter of fact
leaving the picture as a matter of fact
leaving the picture as a matter of fact one of the most important components of
one of the most important components of
one of the most important components of critical mentoring is the concept of
critical mentoring is the concept of
critical mentoring is the concept of intergenerational dialogue I want young
intergenerational dialogue I want young
intergenerational dialogue I want young people to understand that mentors have
people to understand that mentors have
people to understand that mentors have what Reverend Alfonzo Wyatt calls elder
what Reverend Alfonzo Wyatt calls elder
what Reverend Alfonzo Wyatt calls elder wisdom we have sacred knowledge to pass
wisdom we have sacred knowledge to pass
wisdom we have sacred knowledge to pass down and share if only young people will
down and share if only young people will
down and share if only young people will listen mentoring is supposed to be a
listen mentoring is supposed to be a
listen mentoring is supposed to be a reciprocal process an exchange in which
reciprocal process an exchange in which
reciprocal process an exchange in which mentor and protege are in this ongoing
mentor and protege are in this ongoing
mentor and protege are in this ongoing process of locus
process of locus
process of locus there’s so much work to be done in our
there’s so much work to be done in our
there’s so much work to be done in our world in mentoring should be at the very
world in mentoring should be at the very
world in mentoring should be at the very heart of that liberation work if only
heart of that liberation work if only
heart of that liberation work if only adults would be willing to make
adults would be willing to make
adults would be willing to make themselves more relevant young people
themselves more relevant young people
themselves more relevant young people deserve the best of us so that they can
deserve the best of us so that they can
deserve the best of us so that they can be better than us thank you
be better than us thank you
be better than us thank you [Applause]
”
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