Can Everyone Be Reached?

I get a personal joy from registering young people to vote for the first time. I am always excited when I come across 17 year-old young people and I get to let them know that they can vote as soon as they turn 18.  Since President Barack Obama has been elected, it seems as if the consensus among young people has changed from apathy to excitement.  This leads me to believe that the political and social change we envision is happening with the young people. Yesterday, I realized that half the people that I spoke with and registered were under the age of 20.  In several years, these young people will be the policy-makers, legislators, and law enforcers.  On the other hand, those who choose not to engage will be the victims of the process. My job is to remind them that even being a victim is a choice.

I realized then that the political process can start with voter registration and dialogue about the political process.  From the conversations that I have had with various young people, I have realized that they are not regularly in practice of speaking about the political process or what is encompassed in the realm of politics.  Based upon my conversations with young people during the voter registration campaign, I realized that young people are not being engaged on their level by policy makers or adults who understand the process. They are, however, being engaged by music videos and popular culture. I am curious about how to blend the two because the ones who resist engagement are the ones who embrace the false reality created by pop culture and mainstream media. My question is this: how do we as community organizers engage the young people who are in opposition to the very process that determines the projected quality of life for us all?

Posted by:

Kwesi Low

LYVEF Hits Up Tucson to Train Local Youth!

This week the League of Young Voters Education Fund will be in Tucson, Arizona training young leaders ages 13-21 to stand up and be the change that they want to see. The training is being presented by the NonViolence Legacy Project of the Culture of Peace Alliance.

Yesterday, Jayme Montgomery-Baker (Wisconsin State Director) and I were greeted by the Tucson community with song, food, and open discussion about the issues affecting Arizona. Gang Violence, SB 1070, Dream Act, Voter registration, and HB2281 were some of the issues discussed at the circle. The LYVEF is honored and humbled for the opportunity/invitation to inspire, educate, and train Arizona’s young adults during such historical times. You can feel the excitement, emotion, and passion in the air; The Federal Government has filed a lawsuit against the state of Arizona, protests are taking place on the streets, McCain is running for reelection, and LYVEF is here doing what we do best!

The young people that we have had the pleasure to meet are some of the most passionate and dedicated of this generation and definitely operating from an “Opposition to Proposition” state of mind.

Posted by:

CJ

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

People love to talk about change. It is a natural occurrence for people that are enduring a similar situation to agree on the necessity of change and for them to agree on the things that need to change. However, people typically have conflicting ideas of how the change that is envisioned can actually be realized and what that change would look like. It is at the intersection of these two occurrences that is the ever present ingredient which threatens to halt any movement by a community of people who have deemed it necessary to affect a change in their accepted way of life.

This concept can be applied to even the simplest conflict. Let’s say two kids plop down on the couch at the exact same time and the TV is on a channel that neither of them wants to watch. They each have the same desire; a pleasurable viewing experience. However, each of them has a different perception of what a pleasurable viewing experience might be. What the two kids have is a conflict of interest although they have a similar objective. Although they agree on the necessity of change, they disagree on what that change should look like.

So now let’s say that these are two really bratty kids. Let’s say they are really stubborn and cannot agree on a single channel to watch. How can each of them get what they are in search of at the same time? How did they come to the conclusion that they cannot each have what they want at the same time? And furthermore, how did they become so dependent on the TV for stimulation….

… Continue Reading

Posted by:

Kwesi Low

Riding the Wave

It is a great time to be living in Columbus. I guess it could just be me because it seems like everyday I’m here someone says that they are bored. Life as a community organizer however has been high pace and the high octane people I am constantly in the company of keeps me motivated and in good spirits. The summer officially began on Monday and Columbus is feeling the heat. So I guess it is fair to say that when it comes to organizing if you can’t take the heat then stay out of the summer time!

Poetry and progressive thinking tends to go hand and hand. I got introduced to my mentor Ha2tim at a poetry spot and it was him who introduced me to C J and the LYVEF. Since the day I enter a spoken word poetry show for the first time, I have experienced an entirely new side of life, and poetry has been there every step of the way. I have heard, written or performed what seems like a poem for possible human emotion but I am always inspired by the art form and people’s ability to articulate their inner environment.

… Continue Reading

Posted by:

Kwesi Low

My Generation Will Make A Change

I want you to check out this song:  My Generation off the new Nas and Damien Marley CD, Distant Relatives. I’ve been listening to this non stop. This song inspires me to keep loving, inspiring, organizing, and evolving because in my heart I believe that we as a Generation are living in historical times. But there’s too much theory, not enough practice.

The King of Pop tried to tell us that self interest lies only with the wealthy and the elite. Before Distant Relatives dropped on Tuesday, his song “They Don’t Care About Us” stayed on repeat (shout out to Christina). Are our leaders and elected officials of the past ready to pass the baton and share the wealth of knowledge, or must we learn our own lessons? Will the athletes of my generation have the courage of Ali, or the cowardess of Jordan? Will the entertainers of my generation heal the world or try and FU$% every girl in it? … Continue Reading

Posted by:

CJ

Score: Human Decency 1, Sex Slavers -2

Nothing makes me want to punch a pervert in the face like the term “sex slave.” You don’t need to be a man or be a woman, have a child or be one, to feel your heart brake at the notion that there are people making a twisted living luring young women from other countries into forced sexual service to the second sleaziest sickos on the planet (after #1, the traffickers themselves.)

Sorry, guess it sets me off. And I’m not sorry.

So for this good Friday, let’s tell a tale of tragedy turned to triumph, two young women delivered out of the hands of would-be predators by, of all things, drum roll please, the internetz.

And here I was, thinking online forums were just where God made Trolls:

Help me help my friend in D.C.

It’s a long read, but I dare you to stop halfway.

Hope is alive!

Posted by:

Sam Patton

Replacing Hurt With Hope

Three weeks ago today, God took away a piece of my heart when he called back my lil’ cousin. James “Jimmy” Darnell Johnson would kill me for putting his fed name on the Internet but now that he is gone I feel it is my responsibility to introduce him to the world. At 20 years old, Jimmy still had a lot of life ahead of him but it was cut short by gun fire. Jimmy was caught up in the vicious cycle of street enterprise were he found himself engaged to an extent that I believe he was deeply troubled by. However once a person has created a reliable source of income and a comfortable life, it can be hard to turn away from. Unfortunately, when you accept that type of lifestyle, you accept all that comes with it.

… Continue Reading

Posted by:

Kwesi Low

Toughest Immigration Law Signed in Arizona

Grabbed this from the NYTimes:

“PHOENIX — Gov. Jan Brewer of Arizona signed the toughest illegal immigration law in the country on Friday, aimed at identifying, prosecuting and deporting illegal immigrants. The governor’s move unleashed immediate protests and reignited the divisive battle over immigration reform nationally.”

This move drew a line in the sand and prompted some harsh criticism of Governor Brewer, including a statement from President Obama:

“The recent efforts in Arizona…threatened to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and their communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe.”

What do yall think?

Posted by:

Sam Patton