Youth Changemakers Taking Action to Support Black Lives

Welcome! This is the third in a series of newsletters LearnServe is publishing to amplify the changemaking of our student social entrepreneurs and alumni working to combat anti-Blackness specifically. You can keep up with the series on our website here.

LearnServe students and alumni have pursued this work in many forms. In this issue, youth push for racial equity at predominantly white institutions, speak to racial justice in the media, and remind us TO VOTE. We're excited to introduce you to these changemakers and their impact!

This issue of our newsletter also includes an update on the LearnServe Global Summer Fellowship, our first-ever virtual exchange between students in Zambia and the US.

Chris: Speaking to Racial Justice on the Radio

When Chris joined the LearnServe Fellows program in 2016, he knew that he wanted to fight racial discrimination through education. He and Co-Founder Desmond Dinkins first worked on bringing African American history into the required curriculum for schools across the Washington, DC area.

Then in 2017, Jordan Peele wrote and directed Get Out. Chris went to see the movie, and he loved it. He saw Jordan Peele shine a light on racism, and the powerful effect Get Out had on conversations with his friends. Along the way, he noticed that a movie could reach people on a deep level, and make them question the status quo. So he decided to focus on sharing the experiences of Black Americans through media.

"I think that the time we’re living in right now will be very interesting to document in movies and media," Chris shared this fall. "because a lot of people are stuck in an old way of life, but some others are pushing for change... I think a lot of people mistake things that are going on right now as a fault in the system, and they don’t necessarily realize that it’s a system working how it was intended to."

Chris, now a rising Senior at Temple University and Host at WHIP Radio, gave us a call to discuss racial justice narratives in the media, code switching, his TV and movie recommendations, and advice for young activists. Check out our conversation on the LearnServe Blog.

Arrieanna: How does one change the system?

"We sometimes forget that hate and ignorance is learned behavior," Arrieanna (third from the right, front row) reflected. "The younger we can instill acceptance, allyship, and advocacy in students, the more we can change the mindset of the future."

Arrieanna's essay, published on the LearnServe Blog, is a passionate appeal for young people to demand change from institutions ‒ whether they be schools, police departments, or government. In it, she reflects on her experience with LearnServe and with Black Students Demanding Change, and ends with just how important it is right now to vote.

"To everyone that can vote in this election, and to everyone that doesn’t know if they should," Arrieanna writes, "VOTE. Vote for people that actually want America to succeed. Vote for people that will take your grievances to work with them every day and won’t consider themselves successful until they’ve done everything in their power to give you a fair shot at the American dream."

From Lusaka to DC: More Perspectives from our
Global Summer Fellowship

"While living during a pandemic, it is hard to wrap your head around finding a way to create change in this world," Tony reminded us. "So at the end of the four weeks, listening to all the students from Zambia and the U.S. pitch their ventures, I felt proud as an intern." LearnServe alum Tony (Fellows 2017, Zambia 2018) was one of three interns who helped shape and launch our first-ever virtual international exchange.

"Through the month, I saw students go through the process of identifying the problem, researching it, and personally connecting with their venture. It’s incredible to think of how quickly a young person can learn something... which just shows how much a young person is capable of in this world. Most important is the experience of cultural exchange and sense of community."

We are excited to share even more perspectives from the Global Summer Fellowship with our community! Check out the blog posts written by Tony and our other interns. And watch these videos of our students Beenzu and Gracie being interviewed about their experience!

The Presidential Election is November 3, 2020

Make sure YOU and everyone you know have a plan to vote. Ride-share services are offering discounts and free rides to the polls. Bring water and snacks for the long lines. As long as you are in line before the polls close, you can still vote. YOUR VOTE MATTERS.