by: Shannon Stinson
August 12, 2011
It truly is time to “Listen” to our future leaders asking for guidance, standing up against the weight of the negative perception of their generation.
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“Listen: We are not a stereotype!” called out from posters & handouts at Wednesday afternoon’s youth town hall meeting at Gordon Park Pavilion in River West as youth leaders from Safe & Sound’s Crime Strategy Initiative gathered “to discuss issues that concern them, and the change they want for their community…”
Panelists
These young leaders spoke out against the recent violent actions of their peers, to inform their community that they will not stand for being associated with these actions and they are committed to working to break down the stereotype that all young people in Milwaukee are violent and out of control.
When the young panelists were asked why they believe these stereotypes exist, they responded by acknowledging that the media plays a huge role in perpetuating the image of recklessness and violence.
They feel that the negative perception of youth in Milwaukee today is based on the actions of a few, which the news will report on repeatedly. When in reality, young people are working to overcome the challenges facing them by being active with organizations like Safe & Sound, the Holton Youth & Family Center and COA.
Where is the coverage of proactive projects like the transformation of a vacant lot into “A Lot of Respect” park? The State Fair rioting made headline news for days, and yet the coverage of this town hall meeting was minimal.
These mature young people explained that they do not blame people for having these stereotypes when the image of violence and loss of control is what people see and read about most often, but they want help building an equally strong, positive image for the future.
When asked how this might be done, several key ideas flowed forth. For one, the young people just want to be heard. They expressed frustration over the lack of communication between themselves and their community members, the police, even their peers in other neighborhoods. “The city is so segregated even within races,” explained one of the panelists. If only people were able to talk to each other, connect more, then these communities might be able to break down the wall of fear that persists and positive action could move forward.
Education is another issue that arose towards the end of the meeting. Not public education, but the informal opportunity to teach young people to understand that there are consequences to their actions. Several adults spoke up about the fact that having activities and programs to keep young people from getting into trouble on the street is all well and good, but we are missing an opportunity to connect with and build relationships with young people in order to help guide them through the challenges they face. More dialogue needs to occur about the choices young people are making and the effects of those choices as they grow up.
As the town hall meeting came to a close, both the young panelists and adults in the audience agree that this discussion needs to continue. Ideally with not just youth and adults from this one community, but with policy makers, business owners and police representatives from all over the Milwaukee area.
It truly is time to “Listen” to our future leaders asking for guidance, standing up against the weight of the negative perception of their generation.
“Young people will win other young people,” as one of the attendees stated at the end of the meeting. We must seize this small window of time available to us to respond to our young people and prove to them as a community that we will support and empower them to become advocates among their peers to create positive change in their communities.
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Milwaukee Professionals Association supports efforts that respect the fact that, "Safety Matters" - a neighborhood-level idea.
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