The 2019 Teen Vogue article by Juvenile Law Center and Girls for Gender Equality titled “The U.S. Has Been Silencing Black Girls’ Voices for Decades” captured the experience of the stockade where young girls were arrested and put in harsh conditions while their parents were strapped with fines and fees just for speaking out about segregation and discrimination. We know these practices still happen today. We know Black girls are targeted for speaking out and demanding to be heard. Youth Advocates and Alumni from Juvenile Law Center’s Youth Advocacy Program were asked to reflect on this article and write about instances where Black youth continue to fight for themselves and future generations. Jasmine Moore, Ciani Batista, and Ria Murray powerful responses can be found below.
Jasmine Moore, Youth Advocacy Alum
In honor of black history month and all things Black, I'd like to acknowledge my fellow youth advocates in the Youth Advocacy Program at the Juvenile Law Center. There isn't a more fitting conversation than one that is centered around the youth advocates. When I think of youth who fight daily, they are the first to come to mind. The amount of work and time the program dedicates always makes me wonder why there aren’t more programs like this in the City of Philadelphia.
In the program youth are given the opportunity to share their individual stories and lived experiences in the juvenile legal or foster care systems to push for change. Each story is uniquely tied to the projects they produce. What's special about that is that they are given a voice- an opportunity to speak up for themselves- to speak directly to the people who can help make the change they seek in the systems they fight for. Having a voice and making sure it's heard and taken seriously is a major issue for me because I had the pleasure of being a part of Advocates Transforming Youth Systems, but back when I started it was Youth Fostering Change. The sole reason for me wanting to be a part of the program was so that I would be able to share my story so it could reach people and give them a better understanding of what really went on inside these systems and also would encourage youth to speak up for themselves and to fight for the rights they never wanted us to have.
I was so young when I entered into the foster care system at the age of 7 due to family issues. I stayed in the system until I was 17. I experienced so much of being misunderstood and overlooked. I never felt like I had a voice so it was impossible in my mind to say anything. Once I had the courage to speak, I was always labeled as the girl with the attitude or the disrespectful girl. It made me really silent and boxed off. I felt disconnected from everyone- alone! That experience made it hard for me to have healthy relationships with people as I got older.
Fast forward to being accepted into the Youth Advocacy Program - I began to thrive. Each week everyone was so respectful and welcoming to the point that it didn't feel like a job but more of a community. There was never any pressure put on anyone to share their past which made the projects flow naturally. What I didn't expect was to make such strong connections through experience. The time we spent being vulnerable made me realize this was something bigger than us all and that has impacted my life the most. Since becoming in the YA program I have witnessed so much hard work, dedication, blood, sweat, and tears put into their work. I have worked alongside the best advocates with major projects such as advocating for the local Philadelphia Ombudsperson Office, developing the Operation Education publication, and one of my favorites, working to prevent youth homelessness. These are all ways we have fought and helped youth both present and past. This work will continue to influence and encourage youth to stand up and fight for themselves and others because you're never too old to advocate.
Ciani Batista, Youth Advocate
Unfortunately, Black Americans have been marginalized by the very society that forced generations into slavery, after bringing them to unfamiliar land in the worst conditions imaginable. It’s sad to say that these events may be news to some, but don't come as a surprise for most Black people. Black Americans are in a constant fight for freedom and justice for those who have lost their lives to senseless acts of violence.
Protests against segregation are more recent than many realize. We also don’t realize how many of our everyday habits and traditions are tactics adopted from struggles to survive. The Dap, for instance, is a well-known greeting or handshake. The Dap originated in the military amongst Black soldiers during the Vietnam war. It’s said to stand for “dignity and pride,” and was often used as a sign of solidarity. This was extremely important since some Black soldiers feared for their lives among their racist white comrades.
Protecting our communities and showing up for ourselves is not a crime. Taking constant disrespect and abuse from strangers is exhausting enough; yet it’s become common to encounter people of authority using their influence to allow and even encourage ruthless behavior. Conversations on “proper precautions” that need to be taken when approaching interactions with police have become necessary in the Black community, and it is absolutely devastating. Teen Vogue’s article by Juvenile Law Center and Girls for Gender Equality titled “The U.S. Has Been Silencing Black Girls’ Voices for Decades” highlights specific instances where Black girls are targeted and arrested for standing up for themselves. Niya Kenny and another classmate were arrested and charged after a police officer flipped the desk of another student and threw her across the room. Another student was arrested for carrying out a science experiment. Though the charges were eventually dismissed, the experience was traumatic for the students and the witnesses.
Black Americans face a plethora of challenges and only want what every citizen deserves, and that is to be treated equally, with respect and humanity. These basic rights are not much to ask for after many of our ancestors cared for the children of people who beat and killed many Black families. Instead of appreciating the sacrifices of generations, they’ve doubled down carrying out prejudice and discriminatory practices against Black youth who are undeserving of such treatment. Unity and equality should be ensured to all Black Americans.
As short as life is, we shouldn’t have to live in fear and be judged for something we can’t control. With such a harsh transition into a foreign land, we’ve learned ways to stand together when most would expect us to be divided. From marches and peaceful protests to civil rights movements and community service programs; Black Americans worked tirelessly to get to where we are. The fight continues; our faith and minds remain strong, exemplifying tremendous willpower and determination to make things happen for those who have yet to take their first breath. The best way to make progress is to take it one day at a time and that’s all we can do in times like these.
Ria Murray, Youth Advocacy Alum
The hate you give young children.
America is called the land of the free
The system has been failing for a long time.
it states “The girls were fighting for themselves, she said, but also for the next generation.” She never lied.
Again, in the article it discusses cruel punishment of the young ladies being forced to stay 45 days in a stockade building with barely no food, no water, and filth.
That is no way someone should be treated.
Again, the article states “The girls wanted to fight against the discrimination they saw represented in the signs posted all over their town: ‘Whites only drinking fountain.’ ’Coloreds use the back door.’ ‘No Negroes allowed.’ They also fought more broadly for equity. ’We wanted better schools. We wanted better jobs. We all wanted to be treated equally,’
The land of the free has a long way to go. The land of the free is broken into common sections. White, black/color or mixed, poor and rich. We are still wishing better of everything. We still have to work for every dime and still don't break even to support our families. We have to send our children to under resourced schools because we aren’t offered anything better in communities that face divestment. We are still pushing to get better jobs and better everything.
We call America the land of the free
My question is how many people have to die or be punished for us to be free?
Abraham Lincoln, 16th president, freed slaves - he was assassinated.
John F. Kennedy, 35th president, supported civil rights - he was assassinated.
“Say our name, Rodney King.” An American activist victim died by police brutality.
“Say our name, Eric Garner” A 43-year-old Black man from Staten Island died after NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo put him in a chokehold for 15 seconds during an illegal arrest.
The list gets even longer - should I continue?
“Say our name, Trayvon Martin” shot by a neighborhood watch captain.
“Say our name, Breonna Taylor” shot by police during a raid.
“Say our name, George Floyd” murdered by a white police officer.
Again I pose my question: how many people have to die or be punished for us to be free?
People say some rappers' music is trash, but many don’t ever pay attention to the hidden messages in their songs. In Kendrick Lamar’s song DNA he talks about the story of how a black man is shaped in America. In PNB Rock’s song My City Needs Something he talks about the killing in the city and that we need justice and love. In Michael Jackson’s song They Don’t Really Care About Us he talks about social movements and political justice. The gospel singer Detrick Haddon in his song Sick World talks about loss and grief and how the city experienced all the killing during the pandemic. In Lil Baby’s song Bigger Picture he talks about the protests of the killing in the street about George Floyd. In Detrick Haddon’s song Freedom he talks about a Black man that almost lost freedom because of the mistake of fingerprint on a gun. In Arlissa's song We Won’t Move, she talks about black people rising through their biggest downfall being able to protest for what is right.
Again America is called the land of the free
When we are not treated equally?
