Youth changemakers and a call for radical philanthropists

“Young people have always been on the frontlines of change — from lunch counters and the civil rights movement to today’s fights for racial justice and climate action,” said Luis Hernandez, powerbuilding strategist for youth engagement at The National Collaborative for Transformative Youth Policy (commonly known as TYP Collab).

I had the opportunity to sit down with Hernandez and Law-Rel Butler, lead organizer with Alliance of Rhode Island Southeast Asians for Education (ARISE), after both were engaged in “Youth at the frontlines: An exploration of how youth leaders are building the future they deserve,” the first in a webinar series hosted by TYP Collab and Grantmakers for Thriving Youth.

TYP Collab works to build transformative policy and systems change. They center Indigenous and Black communities, LGBTQ+ youth, disabled youth, immigrants and undocumented youth, young parents and transition age youth. Describing his role, Hernandez said he works to build power in communities and among young people, supporting opportunities for liberatory practices and carrying out change agendas they set. 

ARISE helps the Southeast Asian community in Rhode Island gain access to civic engagement and political engagement trainings. As a lead organizer, Butler creates curriculum and programming and works alongside youth changemakers.

 I talked with Hernandez and Butler about youth advocacy and activism in today’s climate and the role they hope philanthropy can play in supporting youth changemaking.

Youth changemaking challenges in today’s political climate

The webinar highlighted the challenges of being a youth changemaker in the current political climate. Hernandez described it as quieter or even underground. This includes what he called “decentralized organizing,” noting that young people will often do the work of advocacy and activism without taking credit for it. What matters to the young changemakers is the impact of their work. 

Butler furthered this point emphasizing that the top priority in youth changemaking currently is the safety of the changemakers. 

“Something really cool about the organizing family in Providence is we really prioritize the needs of our young people,” he said.

Youth advocates are making intentional choices about when to be bold and loud and when to organize in more discrete ways.

Using Signal, an encrypted communication platform, for secure communication and encouraging peers to take a back seat for their own safety are strategies youth advocates are taking, according to Hernandez. 

Butler encourages all adults working with young organizers to prioritize young people’s feelings and needs. 

[Related: The revolutionary speed of trust-based changemaking]

“It’s easy for adults to try to take the lead in planning or actions because they feel that they know best, but it’s really important to listen to young people … because they are boots on the ground … and the ones who are at risk the most,” Butler said.

A call to action for philanthropy

This role for adults in supporting youth changemaking extends to philanthropy taking an active, engaged and transparent role in funding young people’s work. Butler hoped the webinar would help policymakers and funders gain more interest in youth voice and organizing. He hopes funders will regularly ask:

 “What youth organizer or organization can I support?” 

He encourages funders to make connections with the people to whom they are giving money, getting to know their work and really understanding why they need support. 

Beyond this, the changemakers on the webinar called for philanthropy to take immediate action. 

[Related: Shifting mindsets — Acting differently requires us to think, talk and see differently first]

Hernandez said youth leaders are calling for philanthropy to move with courage rather than fear. Hernandez highlighted stories of philanthropy moving to a right-of-center approach when previously they had been prioritizing funding for marginalized communities or focusing on protecting their endowment. He calls for a different approach.  

“Philanthropic organizations with billions of dollars in endowments should not be afraid to put up a fight for the Constitution. To not be afraid to put up a fight for the rights of everyday Americans,” said Hernandez. 

According to Hernandez, youth advocates need to know and understand who they can trust, and this includes philanthropy.

They are looking for philanthropy to stand by their side and support their efforts. 

“We’ve seen this happen before, during the Civil Rights era and as the Black Panther Party and so many others were organizing and bringing communities together, there were radical philanthropists who were giving resources and taking risk when it was important. We’re in that very same moment right now. We should be taking risks,” Hernandez said.

[Related Grant Opportunity: Racial, economic and environmental justice organization support grants]

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