A World Where Youth Hold the Power

A World Where Youth Hold the Power
by: Adeola A. Oredola & members of Youth In Action


This article is about:

• what youth in action is: "A providence, Rhode Island organization that's all about young people- their capacity to lead, their natural ability to innovate, and their desire for positive change".
• members own live experiences.
• how members believe that youth are powerful assets instead of problems.
• youth and adults can grow together to solve community problems

with reading this article there are some things that really stuck out to me:

• "So its like you're not even a person yet. You're basically somebody else's person, somebody else's property"
• "Teachers and administrators tend to demand respect but feel like treating students with the same respect is pointless".
• "Teachers tell you what to think and never actually ask what you need or encourage critical thinking".
• " If you disagree with a teacher, a police officer, or the mayor or if you talk about politics, want to read a different book, or believe the rules adults have set up are a mistake, people usually don't want to hear about it. You don't have permission to disagree in other places".

These main points are what really got me thinking about the article because starting from 7th grade and throughout high school I was labeled a trouble maker. Now I know that some of the time I was being immature but other times I wasn't. I have always been an opinionated girl but also someone who sticks up for themselves. I have four brother,s I learned how to defend myself and not take any shit. So I have never been afraid to voice my opinion or tell someone how I really feel. This didn't go so well in school because teachers feel they are above students. They tell you what to think, what to do, and leave no room for you to disagree. Teachers are human beings and they aren't always right. They shouldn't shoot a student down for disagreeing or kick them out of class. Teachers are meant to teach you, but the only thing their teaching is for students not to think for themselves. I have had teachers demand by respect but turn around and mock me to an entire class. So why on earth would I respect them? Well I didn't and I made that known. which to a lot of people is the wrong thing to do. However I didn't believe that because that person was my teacher they had the right to belittle me and make me feel as I was less than them. Teachers are suppose to inspire students to achieve greatness not tell them they'll be saying "would you like fries with that". As I've been in college I've learned to bite my tongue a little but I've also fought for what I believe in. I've had professors that I didn't agree with. One teacher I had to show her facts to prove my point but she respected me for it and told me to always stick up for myself. But then you have other teachers that are arrogant and abuse their power as a professor. The minute I disagreed with another professor they docked points off my grade because of their feelings towards me. Which to me is not fair and what does that teach me? That I should stand in line and just follow suit? I believe that at 22 years old I am allowed to have my own opinion and stick up for myself. People tell me I should kiss the professors butt to get the grade I want but that doesn't work for me.

I think that the Youth In Action program is a huge asset to the providence community and I think that it should be spread throughout Rhode Island. I believe that children are the future of the world we live in and to see a better future we need to incorporate them in it. Stop telling them what to do and give them the opportunity to show the world what their made of.