When I was a teenager growing up in New York City, I was susceptible to bouts of depression.  My mother would always respond to me as follows: “You know what the best cure for depression is? It’s to be of service to someone who has it harder than you do.”  My mom was not a psychologist but I’ve taken that advice to heart because it has served me well.

I began my community organizing work as a teenager.  I believe that this was in part an attempt to chase away the blues and also born out of a deep sense of justice.  Both things were probably there in equal measure.

Today was an opportunity for me to reaffirm the unabashed hopeful sense that I have about the future of the world.  My work is about tireless, painstaking movement-building. It’s about collaboration and tenacity and a boundless sense of hopefulness.  It’s about seeing beauty in the bricks.

For the past several weeks, I have worked to organize a youth activist panel discussion and roundtable event about the school to prison pipeline.  The event took place today and it was inspiring and edifying.  This had everything to do with the young people who spoke and performed today. Their words and actions spoke of community-building, of a deep belief in the need for restorative practices in all institutions (schools, churches, mosques, police stations, courts, etc..), and of healing and transformation.  They spoke to people’s hearts and challenged their minds.  Youth performers from Young Chicago Authors and from Kuumba Lynx added a critical artistic and truth-telling ingredient to the events of the day.

Youth and adults spoke to each other and some adults tried to practice the art of active listening and allyship.  I have been forced lately to listen to people around me (particularly people who are supposedly progressives) lament the pace of “change” in Washington and lash out at Democrats (Congress and the President).  I have not had any patience with most of these folks.  Mainly because their response to this supposed disenchantment is to “sit out” the Midterm elections.  I don’t understand that.  These are people who in my opinion have no sense of history and no comprehension of what it takes to make real, fundamental social change.  It takes constant and consistent engagement and yes, voting is one part of that civic engagement.  By sitting out of the process, you empower your opponents.  You provide them with the momentum and the clear path to roll back any movement that you have made towards an ultimate goal of social justice.

The youth who spoke on today’s panel are the opposite of their spoiled adult progressive allies.  They talked about the need to see hope.  The need to never give up.  The need to build community and to engage others.  They spoke of movement-building across identities.

What a privilege for me to know such young people.  How lucky for the world that they exist.  I am humbled by their passion, commitment, and energy.  They remind me constantly about what I owe to them and by extension to myself.