Youth & Democracy

“City Rising: Youth & Democracy” follows the stories of youth leaders, allies and organizations as they challenge institutional and systemic issues through civic engagement. This third season of the “City Rising” series will demystify the role and work of youth organizations in California, demonstrating how young people are organizing their communities to participate in public policy and make lasting change in pursuit of a more just and equitable future for themselves and the world they live in.

Sociologists, economists and experts like Dr. Veronica Terríquez, Dr. Manuel Pastor, and Ben Kirshner explore the history of youth participating in the civic arena and its impact today.

Follow a variety of stories across the state, where young leaders and organizers campaign for political and social change.

In Fresno, Zophia Trexler and Raymart Catacutan use the power of journalism to keep youth informed and engaged, while uplifting young voices.

In Oakland, Joequisha Hill from the youth organization Youth Together joins the teachers’ strikes to support funding for teacher’s pay and maintain the health and counseling services she and her fellow students need to succeed in school.

In South L.A., Josh Hamm from Boys and Men of Color discusses his work to enact the School Climate Bill of Rights across LAUSD in order to implement restorative justice methods of discipline instead of traditional punitive measures.

In Santa Ana and Merced, Claudia Pérez from Resilience OC and Inés García from 99 rootz explore how undocumented youth can still participate in democracy and have their voices heard, despite their inability to vote.

Meanwhile, Jay Franco from Youth Forward joins a coalition of youth organizations to fight for the Sacramento Kids First Fund, an initiative that looks to expand the city’s budget for youth services and have young people included when deciding where those resources go. 

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