WHAT WE HEARD AT THE YOUTH TOWN HALL WILL MOVE YOU
MEET THE AUTHOR
Ali Thomas is a multimedia creative dedicated to using her love of storytelling to uplift and educate urban communities about arts education. Ali has worked with the Baltimore office of Promotional Arts as a youth leader and directed short films and poems with Towson University's black theater Union, her writing has been recognized in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards while attending Baltimore City College high school. Now attending Morgan State University and majoring in Theater Arts, Ali aims to use creative storytelling to unite the urban community and uplift her peers.
Voices of the Future: A Youth Town Hall was an event organized by Keniera Wagstaff and Truth Avenue at Morgan State University School of Global Journalism & Communications. It allowed young people, ages 14 to 24, to engage directly with local politicians and community leaders, asking critical questions about issues impacting their communities. Topics included school safety, support for underserved communities, justice, and more. Recognizing Baltimore City's pressing challenges, the Youth Town Hall sought to address these issues and explore ways for the community to create tangible change. During the event, our team interviewed five participants about their views on community involvement: Tael’a Hughes and Mehkiah Sabedra, both Morgan students and event panelists; Andrea Daniels, Managing Editor at the Baltimore Banner; Malachi Harrison, a high school student; and Ellis Lewis, a middle school student.
What recent positive change has given you hope?
“This event. Seeing people go out of their way to help young people instead of just saying, ‘Well, they’re the problem, or they can’t fix this,’ but coming together as a whole to help them anyway.” - Malachi Harrison
“School, because I know my school has activities and people that can help me do better, and it gives me more options for the things I’m going to do when I go to high school.” - Ellis Lewis
“I always have hope; I always think that we can get better as a society. When I see young people like Keniera, who care about the issues enough to create a forum to give youth a voice, that gives me hope too.” -Andrea Daniels
“Many people ages 14 to 24 are focused on what the future holds and how they plan to change it or be a part of it. Young people having that insight and knowing, ‘Okay, this next thing is important; someone has to step up’—I think that’s amazing.” - Mehkiah Sabedra
How does it feel to see young people advocating for change?
“I feel like it actually gives me so much hope and inspiration because it isn’t like, ‘Yeah, y'all are just gonna sit there and do nothing.’ You’re going to stand up for what’s right.” -Malachi Harrison
“I think it’s really cool. I think it’s an improvement because when I was younger, I didn’t know what was going on, and nobody was telling me either. The fact that they’re demanding, ‘Hey, we want to know what’s going on,’ that’s very inspiring and heartwarming to see.” -Tael’a Hughes
Based on the changes you’re seeing today, what advice would you give to others about the current state of the world?
“Have patience because everything is not going to happen overnight. You still have to work hard and stay consistent to improve, and eventually, things will be better.” - Ellis Lewis
“You have to actually have your own opinion on what you want to do and see. Even if you’re the kind of person who only wants to help by staying in the background, as long as you’re trying to help in a way that works for you, that’s what matters.” — Malachi Harrison
“We are the only people who can truly be ourselves. We’re here today and gone tomorrow, but at the same time, we have to make our stand here. Stay true to yourself and don’t be afraid to voice your opinions because you have to live in this world, in your own body, and you’ll regret letting someone else make a decision you could have made for yourself.” — Tael’a Hughes
Event panel on Violence and Justice.
Voices of the Future: A Youth Town Hall highlighted the passion and dedication of people in Baltimore who care about the well-being of our youth and the strength of their community. Despite the challenges we face, there are many committed to using their voices. Interviewing these participants left me feeling a bit humbled. Recently, I hadn’t felt much drive for positive change in the world, but through this event, I was reminded that meaningful progress is always happening around us. Their commitment reignited my own hope for a better future.
Tael’a Hughes’ powerful words offer a fitting reminder: "If something doesn't work for me, I can't just exclude myself—I have to put myself into the community. We need to go to the people who aren't speaking up, who are scared to, or just can't. You have to say what you need because if you don't, you could lose something—your mind, your loved one, your life." This message speaks to the theme of the event: a call for each of us to use our voice and take a stand.
Check out the event reel we created:
Wide Angle supported this event through the Baltimore News Collaborative, a partnership between The Baltimore Banner, Maryland Public Television, WYPR, Morgan State University, the Baltimore Beat, and Wide Angle Youth Media, funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The findings and conclusions presented in this blog are those of the authors alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Foundation.