*Victoria’s Corner*

Be The Change You Want To See

I know you often hear, “You can make a difference. You have a voice. You can change the world”. I’m sure you have heard this in speeches, at school, on television. You have probably heard it so much, that you tune it out when it is being said to you. Parents, speakers, politicians, and clergy say these remarks to address bullying or violence. You don’t believe them. Nobody really expects you to make a difference. They expect you to keep texting, listening to gangsta rap, playing games, bullying and fighting. On one hand, politicians are saying you are the future and how bright it can be. On the other hand, they are putting together future programs for your incarceration instead of scholarships for your college education. Local politicians love to start off speeches with talk of empowerment and finish up with how we need housing and jobs for you upon your release from prison. Well guess what? You are going to college. You are going to start working on your community services that you must have when filling out college applications. Making a difference is not going to be just a phrase you have heard over and over again. So many of you have the desire to help. It’s the not knowing how or where to begin have you doing, well, nothing. I’m going to help you get started. No more excuses. For everyone that feels insignificant, like you don’t have anything to offer, nothing could be further from the truth. The world is so messed up that it needs all the help it can get.

When meeting with children my age, I also tell them to use their voice, you can make a difference, become empowered, change the world. Just like Ms Oprah Winfrey, I really believe that you can. People listen to a young person making a speech or pay special attention to a child taking action. I was recently at an event where the discussion was civil rights. Among the guests was a teenager that stood up and asked how he could make a difference regarding racism. Kerry Kennedy (daughter of assassinated attorney general Robert Kennedy) told him that whenever someone makes a sexist or racist joke and we do not laugh or comment, we are making a difference. I never considered that no action is sometimes a large reaction. Not participating in conversatons or discussions that stereotype or mock people is a great example of passive resistance. Passive resistance is refusing to comply. Recently, I saw a great video about a young boy named Ron McNair who used passive resistance to make a huge difference. When Ron was 9 years old, he went to the whites only library to check out some books. When the librarian threaten to call the cops he patiently waited for them to arrive. All he wanted was to check out some books.

Watch the short video to find out what happened.  Ron McNair grew up and became an astronaut. He did not place limitations on his life. He knew he was destined to make change. Unfortunately Mr McNair died in the space shuttle Challenger explosion in 1986. I was in awe when my mom told me she had met Mr McNair and was friends with his father. I want young people to be like Mr McNair and have no limitations when it comes to greatness.

Although I hear a lot of activists and speakers tell young people they can make a difference, they rarely tell them how to go about it. Young people are visual. You can’t just say, “change is possible”. You have to show them the vision. My blog this month is to guide you step by step in how to make a difference . Step one is to find out what you are interested in. Here is a list of issues to help you get started. Human rights, modern day slavery, animal rights, anti violence movement, environmental conditions including global warming, civil rights, homelessness and affordable housing, saving the post offices, mental health, bullying, voter suppression laws, prison reform, gay rights, religious freedom, clean water supply, feeding the hungry, urban gardening, obesity, cancer or health awareness, rap lyrics, teenage smoking, teen pregnancy, teenage drinking and education are all causes worth fighting for or bring awareness to. Education is so vast that it can be broken down into curriculum, lunch menu, supplies, lack of art and music, and school safety. Which cause captures your interest? Recognizing where you passion lies is the biggest leap into activism.

Step two is to find people or organizations that shares your passion and interest in your cause.
Information is just a google away. Don’t have a computer. Go to the library. Don’t find an excuse to stop you from doing what you want to do. Finding an excuse is giving in to your fear. There are organizations specializing in your cause that are ready to welcome you with open arms. When I think of civil rights reforms, National Action Network and NAACP comes to mind. If you know your civil rights history you know the NAACP has been in the forefront for racial equality for a long time. The great civil rights lawyer Thurgood Marshall was a NAACP attorney. It must feel good to be a part of a historical organization that is still in the fight for racial equality. It is also a shame that after hundreds of years we still have to fight for racial equality. I belong to a civil rights organization, Rev Sharpton’s National Action Network. The National Action Network has over 47 chapters across the United States. Although I’m no longer one of the youth directors, I’m still a very dedicated member of the organization. I have been attending Rev Al Sharpton’s NYC NAN chapter since birth. Rev Sharpton is a huge supporter of youth activism. He is so different with young people than with adults. He has patient with children. He tells young people they can make a difference and gives them the platform to do so. He gives you the room to grow, make mistakes, learn and keep on going. Not many national leaders would give a 12 year old a weekly spot on a national broadcast, but Rev Sharpton gave me that huge platform. For that I’m very grateful. Whenever I need a boost to my activist spirit, I go hear Rev Sharpton speak in person. He never fails in making me feel like my voice matters. Last year he aided me in telling the world that we needed to save our post offices. All the NAN members rallied behind me, went to APWU office in Washington, and marched in the 1st National Save Our Post Offices Day. The work we did to save the post offices received national attention and helped delay some scheduled closings. Rev Sharpton attends new member orientation and you can tell him in person what you want to do to make the world a better place. Go to nationalactionnetwork.net and find a chapter near you or click on their Youth Move link. I’m just giving you some suggestions. There are many organizations for many causes. Turn on your search engines.

Once you have found an organization that supports your cause, attend meetings to see if you are comfortable and that it is a good fit. If the first organization doesn’t feel right, don’t get discouraged. Keep searching until you find the right one. It is just like church. Some puts you to sleep, and others can make you do the holy dance. You know you have found the right organization when you can’t wait to get started and ideas are just exploding inside you. The right organization will ignite your passion for your cause to a new level. If you can’t find an organization, start your own group. Ask your guidance counselor or principal for help. Pass around a flier at school stating your cause and find out how many other students share your interest. Finding a place to hold meetings can be a pain and a deterrent. Don’t give into that. Ask the principal if you can meet after school. Ask your church for space for your meetings. Write to your local politician and explain you have a civics group that needs space for meetings. Adults supports young activists. They will help you. If you don’t have a cause consider helping a charity. St Jude is my favorite. I recently held a bake sale at school for St Jude. Now when I see St Jude commercials, I don’t feel as guilty knowing I’m doing what I can to help sick but very brave children. Charities like Operation Smile, Make A Wish, St Jude and so many others are grateful for any help they can get. Everybody is significant. A lot of organizations and charities are short staffed. They love when you volunteer your time. Volunteering could lead to an internship or a paid job after college.

Step three is to get busy. Here are some tips. Use social media to spread awareness about your cause. Friend and follow people on facebook and twitter that share your cause or interest. Attend discussions and panels where your cause is the topic. Research your cause and memorize key facts. Write letters to your politicians about your cause. Hold a rally or protest to let others know you are serious about your cause. Start a petition to initiate change and spread awareness. Some popular petition sites are change.org, thepetitionsite.com, and signon.org. I along with the organization, Fairgirls.org, used social media to petition Village Voice Media to stop it’s on line sex ads that leads to 70% of child trafficking. It was an effective tool in making people aware of what this company was involved in. After doing a public service announcement against child sex trafficking, I left my position at NAN as regional director of Youth Move to become a full time advocate against child sex trafficking and human slavery. If you decide you want to fight the 2nd largest crime in the world today, visit the websites of Fairgirls.org, Polaris Project or UNICEF.

Maybe you want to start small and be in familiar territory. Check out the businesses in your neighborhood. Find a business owner that gives back to the community and volunteer your time. One of my favorite people in the world is Dennis Mitchel. He is owner of Denny Moe’s barbershop in Harlem. He is always giving back to the community and create ways for his staff and customers to also contribute. It was at his shop that a man told me he would have made different choices had he heard me speak earlier in his life. I was 10 when Mr Mitchell let me use his shop to speak out on fatherlessness. Having mentors that support and encourage you is important. My mom is responsible for making me aware of social conditions. She always take me to town hall meetings, panels, discussions, screenings and conventions. Mom feels it is a parent’s responsibility to make their children socially conscious. The first time I encountered racism was from a cab driver. Although I was only around 9 years old, I testified against the driver. That made a difference. After a $600 fine and 3 points on his license the cab driver will think twice before passing over another person of color

Sometimes you can become so angry, disgusted, livid and just outraged about a condition or cause that it is important to calm down before you do something you will regret. On February 13, a documentary called Hood of Suspicion by great film maker and civil rights advocate, Mr Keith Beauchamp, aired on the Investigation Discovery channel. Mr Beauchamp makes a difference every week with his show, The Injustice Files. He brings light to unsolved murders that are racially motivated. When Mr Beauchamp was 10 years old he read about Emmett Till. Emmett was a 14 year old boy that was brutally murdered for whistling at a white woman. Reading about Emmett Till drove Mr Beauchamp into action. He read and researched everything about Emmett Till, did a documentary, and was credited for the FBI reopening the Till murder. Mr Beauchamp is also one of the nicest people I have ever met. Watching Mr Beauchamp’s Injustice Files is what made me want to be an investigative reporter. Straight up, Mr Keith is one of my heroes. Getting back to the point I was going to make. Mom and I watched Hood of Suspicion together. She was so mad by the time it was finished that she was foaming at the mouth. The fire started coming out of her ears like Veronica in the Archie comics. She puts fresh batteries in the bullhorns, threw on a dashiki, slapped on an Afro wig and presto, Angela Davis had appeared. She gets so animated and passionate about a cause that she skips strategic planning and wants to attack. One of the benefits of being in an organization is learning about strategic planning to address social conditions. Organizations can help you map a course of action. Being angry helps you get moving. Being smart helps you get your mission accomplished. Don’t let angry or passion take focus off what needs to be done. Sometimes that is a lot easier said than done. When I talk to survivors of sex trafficking or read about infants being sexually assaulted, I want to physically do a certain act to every single male that have hurt these children. I can’t, so I have to find another way to channel that angry energy. Sometimes that means talking to my therapist or going to practice karate. Going over the edge is not going to help my mission.

Don’t feel as if you have nothing to contribute to society. I hope I have given you enough tips to pick up a cause. If you can’t find an organization or still don’t know how to get started, please contact me. Maybe you would like to help me save our post offices. On April 6th, I will be having the 2nd National Save Our Post Offices Day. The United Postal Service is drastically shutting down post offices, processing centers and 1st class mail deliveries on Saturdays. On April 6th, gather a group of supporters and demand that cuts in postal services stop. I will help you make your town’s National Save Our Post Offices Day a success.

I’m asking you to help me make this a world a better place to live. Aspiring artist, Young Dapper, is so intent on making a difference he created a video for change called, We Make The World. We owe it to the next generation to make it better like the previous generation made it better for us. Let me know what you are doing to make that happen. You can contact me on Facebook and Twitter. See you in March.

Check  out Young Dapper- Remake the World

-Victoria Pannell