TeenBloc: Free Minds Free People Conference Recap Pt 1.
What’s that you say? TeenBloc is on the west coast? As a matter of fact, that is correct. From July 8th to the 13th, TeenBloc traveled to Oakland, California for the Free Minds Free People Conference. The conference took place at Laney College and was chock full of activists of all ages and ethnicities, people devoted to the idea of equity and not just equality, engaging with these issues in the judicial and education systems.
We partnered with other organizing groups from Pittsburgh and presented a workshop from 11:30am to 1:00pm July 10th entitled “Not NY, LA or the Bay:Lessons from Emerging Education Justice Fights in Pittsburgh”. The workshop was a chance for organizers and activist of Pittsburgh to strut their stuff, share challenges and exchange lessons from leader to leader.
Admittedly, I was nervous for my fellow TeenBloc members. The practice session which included us and the groups we were collaborating with, had several hiccups. Matching the time allotted per slide of the presentation with the speaker’s voice seemed to be harder than I thought. Several times when the speaker was addressing info on a slide it randomly changed. Not a big deal, but it could really throw folks off .
When it was game time, everyone stepped up to the plate, putting on for Pittsburgh youth organizing as a whole. TeenBloc and its partner organizations were a part of a panel after the presentations which initiated an emotional response. When the question “What advice would you give to someone who does this work” came up, I heard several well thought answers. But the last answer really resonated within me. When Ms. Pam, executive director of TeenBloc, answered the question, my eyes started to water at the swell of emotion in her voice. Her answer was simple, “Love". She explained how her passion for what she does comes from love: for the people she works with, the kids she advocates for, and love for the black community.
It is extremely easy to be apart of an organizing group like TeenBloc. It is 90% family, 10% organizing. I do what I do everyday because of the dedication of organizers like Ms. Pam. I was apart of an amazing learning experience while at the Free Minds Free People Conference. The most important lesson I gained from the conference and this work was to advocate with love, to be genuine and include your passion in whatever you do.
